Media faces flak, again'
Title -- 5401 FIJI: Media faces flak, again
Date -- 28 March 2008
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- The Fiji Times 28/03/08
Copyright - FT
Status -- Unabridged
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MEDIA FACES FLAK, AGAIN
www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=84953
SUVA (FT Online/Pacific Media Watch): The media was again singled out by interim Prime Minister Commodore Bainimarama at the second sitting of the National Council of Building a Better Fiji yesterday.
In his opening address at the Police Academy in Nasova, Suva, Commodore Bainimarama said it was frustrating that many journalists in the mainstream media had not read materials released about the proposed People's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress.
He said this was unprofessional and irresponsible on the journalists' part as questions they often asked were not only naive but negative.
"This poses a challenge to the People's Charter process as we are relying on the media to promote a national debate about the major governance, economic issues and social issues that Fiji faces," he said.
He urged members of the NCBBF to help the technical and support secretariat in disseminating information about their work to the media to, among other things, improve news media standards.
The Fiji Times editor-in chief Netani Rika agreed with this, saying there was a need to raise news standards and this needed to be done regularly.
"For us at The Fiji Times, we do that by encouraging people to learn more," said Rika.
He said there were three staff furthering studies at the University of the South Pacific and two would take part in courses at the Fiji Institute of Technology.
"We are about to embark on an in-house training programme."
Commodore Bainimarama said a major hurdle was the media's role in promoting good governance and free speech in the country.
"If you were to believe all that you hear and read on Fiji in the media, local and international, you would be inclined to think that there is a clear and present threat to free speech in Fiji," he said.
"In truth, there is no such threat. It is only a figment of the imagination of those who remain persistently opposed to the interim government."
He said the media was best regulated by itself and the Media Council should take on a more responsible role to curb irresponsible reporting.
"But if the media fails to report truthfully and responsibly and if it fails to self-regulate, that will make it more difficult for the government to give sensible consideration to promoting greater transparency in government through the introduction of freedom of information laws in Fiji."
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