V.I. Update – Your news, your voice, our reporting.

About V.I. Update and our Mission

V.I. Update is an independent news outlet born in the U.S. Virgin Islands to serve the people of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John with timely, accurate, and accessible journalism. What began as a series of viral explainers on TikTok has grown into a trusted source for reporting that cuts through noise, follows the facts, and uplifts community voices.
Our coverage is rooted in civic access and public accountability. We prioritize clarity over jargon, context over headlines, and community engagement over algorithms. We believe that Virgin Islanders deserve a news platform that listens first, speaks clearly, and always stays local.
Our audience includes residents, diaspora, newcomers, and allies who want to understand how decisions are made, how systems work, and how to participate. From public records breakdowns and weekly updates to public service tools and original investigations, our goal is simple: keep the people of the Virgin Islands informed, empowered, and equipped.

Who We Are

V.I. Update was founded and is led by Brian Louden, a longtime resident of St. Croix and former MythBusters host. His work is supported by a network of collaborators and contributors—journalists, researchers, designers, developers, and advocates (these are you!)—who believe that independent reporting is essential to community resilience.
We’re not a media franchise or government-affiliated broadcaster. We’re homegrown, community-minded, and committed to pushing for progress through transparency and truth. Our funding came from the change in our pockets.

What Makes V.I Update Different?

Locally rooted, not mainland owned
TikTok-native journalism that’s now cross-platform.
Fact-first, nonpartisan, public-interest reporting
No sensationalism, no fluff, no paywalls
We work for the people who live here—not for ad impressions or outside agendas. If a story matters to our neighbors, it matters to us.

Want to Help?
You can support our mission by:
Sharing our content everywhere
Sending news tips to tips@viupdate.com
Sponsoring a public service project (soon come dahvote.com)
Making a donation (soon come)
Every dollar goes toward improving access to information across the Virgin Islands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore our frequently asked questions for clarity.

V.I. Update is an independent journalism platform dedicated to reporting in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We focus on transparency, public access, and accountability—delivering fact-first reporting through video, radio, and written stories.

V.I. Update uses a combination of techniques to meet modern journalistic standards. Human vetting makes all final decisions. We use automated systems and filters to organize our resources and often information arrives to us from them. All of our systems reference where all information comes from allowing for the human to verify it before usage.

Our reporting focuses on issues that directly impact daily life in the Virgin Islands. We cover local governance, public utilities, disaster recovery, infrastructure, economic development, and territorial law—always with a public-interest lens.

V.I. Update was founded by journalist and former MythBusters host Brian Louden. After relocating to St. Croix in 2020, he worked across a range of local industries—from managing adventure sport locations to repairing spear fishing gear and renting tanks out of La Reine Fish Market.

During that time, he built a dedicated audience of over 100,000 followers around his videos exploring the history, culture, politics, and daily life of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Inspired by creators like Aaron Parnas and Zoë Bread—and driven by a desire to shift from commentary to clarity—he refocused his efforts on journalism.

V.I. Update was launched to bring independent transparent, investigative reporting to the territory, with a focus on civic accountability, access to public data, and community engagement.

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