Asia-Pacific Regional Press Freedom Seminar

Country Report - Fiji

Fiji has three daily newspapers publishing seven days a week - the SUN, Daily Post which is partly owned by the Government and the Fiji Times owned by News Limited - which is the oldest and biggest in terms of circulation and staff numbers.

The Fijian weekly Nai Lalakai and the Hindi weekly Shati Dut are both part of the Fiji Times group. The other Fijian weekly is published by the Post.

There are two radio stations - the privately owned Communications Fiji Limited which runs FM96, Viti FM and Radio Navatrang, and the Government-sponsored Radio Fiji which also has stations in English, Fijian and Hindi.

Fiji Television operates the only TV station in the country.

Fiji's media was recently rated in a World press freedom review as among the most free and robust in the South Pacific. Visiting independent media consultants and organisations have expressed similar sentiments.

Despite the political upheavals which has becoming a regular feature of life in Fiji for a decade journalists in Fiji enjoy a considerable amount of freedom in their work.

But there have been numerous attempts by Governments - which has changed hands eight times in the past 18 years - to control the media through legislation. These have been strongly resisted by the Fiji media which have formed a united front to fight any Government intervention.

It led to the formation of the Fiji News Council in 1996 (?). The major media organisations funded the council, set up a secretariat and met regularly to discuss matters relating to the industry. It was later upgraded to the Fiji Media Council which exists today and is tasked with hearing and adjudicating on complaints against the media. Members of the council are drawn from the industry and the public. The complaints committee of the council consists of two prominent members of the public.

The Government was wanting to set up its own Media Council members of which it will pick. But this has again been strong resisted by the media organisations.

The Fiji Media Council chairman Mr Daryl Tarte is here with us today and is the key speaker in of the later sessions of this seminar. He will be able to give you more details of the Fiji Media Council when he addresses you.

But over the years, the Fiji Government has increasingly wanted to intervene in the operation of the industry. This has led to sometimes volatile and vindictive relationship between the media and certain sections of the Government. While it is accepted that it will be dangerous if the two get too friendly, the atmosphere in which some of the debates on important public issues are carried out can be so poisonous and nasty they lose their value.

Some public servants believe that the media must publish Government stories without their policies and statements being questioned. They cannot accept public criticism of their conduct and policies.

It is part of a bigger problem which I feel can be effectively addressed at school level. The role of the media is often misunderstood especially in a society where culture and religion play very important roles.

It can be solved if there is an aggressive media awareness program beginning at primary school level.

Unless the people properly understand the function and role of the media in a democratic society they will never be able to fully utilise their right of expression and access to information on matters which affect their lives.

This I think is a handicap in many south pacific island nations where sometimes the media are seen as a hindrance to rather friend of progress and development.

Another key area that most media organisations in Fiji are focussing their attention on is on training. Individually, or collectively through PINA, every effort is being done to help improve and lift the standard of their work.

The News Limited owned Fiji Times where I work has for the past 12 months or so conducted intensive weekly in-house weekly training programs from reporters to newsroom managers. There are one hour sessions for reporters on Monday, cadets on Tuesday, subs on Wednesday and newsroom department heads on Friday conducted by the Editor in Chief.

Notes from these Fiji Times training sessions are made available to journalists from other media organisations through the PINA website.

I will end here because Mr Tarte will have a lot more to say on Fiji this afternoon.

Samisoni Kakaivalu
Fiji Times

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