News
Media Rights Unconstitutionally Challenged at Provo Murder Scene
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, September 11, 2023 – Intimidation was how Wilkie Arthur, freelance court reporter for Magnetic Media described his confrontation on Saturday September 2, when trying to cover the country’s 14th murder scene.
It highlighted, said Arthur, an issue which has faced several residents and one that is contrary to the well-articulated Rights and Freedoms of an individual in the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to the 2011 Constitution Order and the 2004 Telecommunications Ordinance.
The Constitution covers all residents and their explicit right to Freedom of Expression, providing:
“Freedom to receive and impart (to the public generally or to any person or class of persons) ideas and information without interference, and freedom from interference with his or her correspondence or other means of communication.”
Arthur described the situation he experienced for us, “I arrived at the scene it was already cordoned off. This police officer— came and saw me doing my coverage.”
Notoriously spotty in their communication with the public, a lady constable on loan from the United Kingdom tries to interrupt Arthur, a news reporter, from conducting his job. 
In a video shared by Arthur, residents can see a female officer standing across from him waving him away and entreating him to stop recording; this, despite the fact that he was clearly away from the scene of the crime.
“She interfered with them [people behind the yellow tape] and then came back straight to me and said you can stop recording because you’re not going to be able to see anything.”
According to the policy, media are protected in the line of duty with the caveat that they must be responsible with that protection.
“The freedom and independence of all media and communication services shall be upheld and protected in full measure in consonance with the letter and spirit of the constitution—- the freedom and independence of the media shall be the condition for the people to exercise their democratic right to information. It shall also be the operating environment for media professionals to carry out their work with integrity and creativity,” the policy determines.
Nothing captured on film or shared by Mr. Arthur indicated that he was functioning outside of the realm of journalistic responsibility and integrity. Indeed, we can share that Wilkie Arthur was surveying the general area, which included the body of the victim and was behind the caution barrier erected by Police.
Regardless, the officer threatened to take his phone into evidence, he said. For Arthur is was a “bullying” tactic, which did not work and actually inspired him to engage the female officer about her attempt to stop his legal coverage of the events of Saturday September 2 in Kew Town, Providenciales.
Arthur endeavoured to get the officer to admit her misstep. She also declined to comment on the matter. It is not the first instance or even the first department to attempt to block Arthur and other residents from covering incidents.
“Media keeps transparency, keeps things in order, that’s the purpose of media coverage of crime scenes,” Arthur maintained.
Currently in the Turks and Caicos Islands, there is no law prohibits residents from documenting the police in the line of duty or imposes any punishment on residents for doing so.