Cautious welcome for 'media council' plan
Title -- 4344 COOK IS: Cautious welcome for 'media council' plan'
Date -- 13 March 2004
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Cook Islands News 10/3/2004
Copyright -- CIN
Status -- Unabridged
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CAUTIOUS WELCOME FOR 'MEDIA COUNCIL' PLAN
http://www.cinews.co.ck
By Jonathan Harwood
RAROTONGA, Cook Is (Cook Islands News/Pacific Media Watch): The Cook Islands Media Association (CIMA) has given the prospect of the creation of a media watchdog a guarded welcome.
President of the body Flo Syme-Buchanan said that if it was done properly then the idea of a media council was a good one, but she expressed disappointment that the government had not approached the media to ask for their views before making the announcement.
She also called for a Freedom of Information Act to prevent any misuse of the proposed new bodies by putting restrictions on newspapers, radio and television.
CIMA was formed to represent the media in the Cook Islands several years ago and in the past has called for the creation of an independent body to investigate complaints against journalists and the media.
But Syme-Buchanan, an experienced journalist who has also worked in government, stressed it was important to keep politics out of the regulation of the industry, and for any council to act independently.
"The establishment of a media council is long overdue and is welcomed by the Cook Islands Media Association, which was the first organisation to set up a body like this some years ago," she said.
"However it is only a move in the right direction if the council is comprised of members who are independent of government and have a good understanding of media and how it works.
"Furthermore the role of the media council should be to ensure, without bias, that reporting standards are maintained, to fairly handle all media complaints and arbitrate without favouritism."
Syme-Buchanan said that she was still waiting for details of what exactly the government had in mind when it said it wanted to create a broadcasting corporation.
But she expressed concern over a government spokesman's comment that "broadcasting services in the Cook Islands ought to... take government policies into account."
It was also time that the existing Broadcasting Act was reviewed and updated she added.
"The formation of a media broadcasting corporation is difficult to comment on at this time as little detail has been given by the government on how they will go about setting this up," she said.
"What the government should be looking at is a broadcasting standards council similar to what New Zealand has and which works very well."
She also said that if the media was to face more regulation then the government needed to deliver on its unfulfilled promises to the industry.
"The CIMA has long pushed for a Freedom of Information Act," she said. "Although promised by successive governments nothing has happened.
"For a democratic country it is really unfortunate that we do not have a Freedom of Information Act and the government should be looking at introducing this as well.
"It is very disappointing that the government did not seek input from the CIMA and other media organisations before announcing its plans for the media council and media broadcasting corporation," added Syme-Buchanan. "But we are still willing to help."
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