Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

284Media called out again for ‘Fake News’ reporting!

284Media called out again for ‘Fake News’ reporting!

Recently established news entity 284Media has once again been called out for its alleged fake news reporting.

284Media had published an article on October 30, 2021, with the headline: ‘Teachers who didn’t show up for work and didn’t call in sick during silent strike will not be paid for the day’.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) addressed the alleged misleading article on October 31, 2021, during an update on the recent sickout protest by teachers.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) addressed the alleged misleading article on October 31, 2021, during an update on the recent sickout protest by teachers.


Fake news by 284Media- Education Minister


“Let me correct some fake news from the 284 media organisation.

It was reported in a recent article that the teachers would be docked a portion of their salary for not showing up to work. This is a blatant falsehood, and I question the motives for seeking to mislead the public.”

The minister then highlighted Section 92 and 93 of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, which states that the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Teaching Service Commission, is responsible for all matters of discipline for teachers.

“I have instructed my Permanent Secretary to provide a full report of the events of last week to the Teaching Service Commission, and I, specifically, asked that the Ministry recommend that no teacher, and I repeat no teacher, is penalized for the actions related to the sickout between Wednesday 27th October and Friday 29th October.”

284Media’s fake news trend


284Media has in the past been called out for ‘fake news’ reporting on several occasions.

On March 19, 2021, 284Media falsely reported that two bodies, with bullet wounds, were found floating under a bridge at Frenchman's Cay and that they were identified as Trinidad and Tobago nationals.

The news site had published false information circulating on social media without seeking verification from authorities.

It later adjusted its story to say the reports were fake.

On June 9, 2021, 284Media falsely reported that the government was moving to have teachers and frontline workers vaccinated or be subjected to bi-monthly COVID-19 testing.

The misleading article had claimed that the announcement was made by Acting Chief Education Officer (CEO) Connie E. George at a meeting with education stakeholders, including school principals on June 9, 2021.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), who had also stated that the government had no intentions of making vaccination mandatory in the VI, had quickly debunked the erroneous report.

Further, the Acting CEO Mrs George had told our newsroom the article was false as she never said what 284 Media had reported.

"[I] made no such statement," Mrs George declared.

284Media urged to practice responsible journalism


284Media’s inaccurate reporting even led to community activist and businessman Mr Julio S. Henry aka 'Sam' imploring the local news outfit, 284 Media, to practice more responsible journalism.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×