The controversial Post-Courier story. Image: PMC

Pacific.Scoop
Pacific Media Centre news desk

A Pacific regional media lobby group has called on Papua New Guinea’s Post-Courier daily newspaper to seek an independent review of a story which it describes as a “journalistic nightmare”.

The Pacific Freedom Forum has called on the newspaper to seek a review by the Independent Media Standards Committee.

In a media release issued today by the PFF, it said the Post-Courier’s November 10 front page “16,000 aliens” headline and news story had caused controversy in Papua New Guinea, where a Parliamentary inquiry was being held into widespread anti-Asian race riots in May.

The front page story that angered Papua New Guinea's Pinoy migrant community. Image: PMC

The report placed the Philippines ambassador to Port Moresby, Shirley Ho-Vicario, before the committee on Friday 6 November, claiming she said out of 19,000 Filipinos in Papua New Guinea, 16,000 were illegal immigrants.

Another paragraph said inquiry member MP Philip Kikila had “confirmed” the situation.

Both the ambassador and the chair of the inquiry have since verified that she has never appeared before the inquiry, PFF said.

The controversy erupted after senior journalist Freddie Hernandez on the rival newspaper The National exposed the newspaper’s blunder on his PNG blog and his followup story in his newspaper reported that the actual figures of Filipinos in PNG was 10,120 in total with about 2,850 “illegals”.

Blog attack
The blog attack on the Post-Courier’s credibility was also published on Cafe Pacific with a followup story on Pacific Scoop.

PFF chair Susuve Laumaea of Papua New Guinea said an independent review would help “address questions about how the media does its work and reassure the public that when journalists get it wrong, we have a process in place
for getting a story back on track.”

“Blame for the misreporting is being shifted to the MP mentioned in the initial report. But coverage of a parliamentary inquiry into anti-Asian riots has to focus on nailing the basics of journalism: getting the facts right.

“This is especially critical when reporting such an issue to a community already dealing with unemployment, violence and law enforcement problems,” he said.

“In calling on the Post-Courier to embrace media accountability, PFF strongly suggests the paper show information leadership by seeking declaratory judgment on the report and its handling of it, from the Independent Media Standards Committee.”

Co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa said it appeared Ambassador Ho-Vicario did not wish to take up her right to lodge a complaint to the PNG Media Council or the standards committee.

“Therefore, responsibility for accountability must rest with the industry itself. The buck stops with the Post-Courier.

Illegal migrants issue
She said the media should not be the only institution facing serious questions about their handling of the illegal immigration issue.

“Misleading Parliament is a serious offence under Westminster tradition, in which Papua New Guinea plays a historic part. That seriousness is underlined when it involves fabricating evidence implicating a diplomatic representative of an accredited and sovereign nation, like the Philippines.”

“While the responsibility for fact checking and corrections rests with the Post-Courier, especially given the potential impacts on the safety of communities, MP Philip Kikila must be accountable for the source of his statistics through the house Privileges Committee,” said Miller.

Filipino journalist accuses rival newspaper of ‘aliens’ story fabrication

Source: 6539 Pacific Media Watch