The Fiji media panel at the Oceans, Islands and Skies conference in Suva: Alumeci Nakeke (from left), USP head of journalism Shailendra Singh, Dawn Gibson and Ricardo Morris. Photo: David Robie/PMC

Pacific Scoop
Report – By Pacific Media Watch in Suva

Three editors and journalists today welcomed news of the sale of the Fiji Times to a local Fiji business as good for environmental journalism reporting in the region.

But they reserved judgment on the future independence of the newspaper under future owners Motibhai. Read more »

A censored Fiji Times immediately after abrogation of the constitution in April 2009: Now a new decree controls the media. Photo: PMC/File

Time is running out for the 141-year-old influential newspaper as it has only a month to divest 90 percent of its Australian-ownership – or be forced to close down.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Shannon Gillies

Military dictatorship in Fiji has thrown the survival of the Pacific’s longest running English-language daily newspaper in jeopardy.

The Fiji Times has served its host nation since it was founded in Levuka in 1869 – 141 years ago. Read more »

Professor Crosbie Walsh.

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Professor Crosby Walsh.

This article was first published on the independent blog Fiji: The Way it Was, Is and Can Be.

Long Distance Vision: “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party” and “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy’s dog’s back” were two sentences used to teach touch typing. Somehow the good men who make up the International Federation of Journalists got it all mixed up and jumped on to the wrong lazy dog’s back.

Never slow to to criticise events in Fiji, the Federation’s latest statement, on the Media Decree, does it and its anonymous informants no credit. The statement is flawed by the errors of fact, inference and exaggeration noted below. One might have hoped that Coupfourpointfive — run by another group of journalists — in publishing the IFJ release, would have picked up its shortcomings before me. Read more »

The document that has caused all the fuss - Fiji's draft media decree. Image: Minfo

Pacific Scoop:
Opinion – By David Robie

Fiji’s draft media decree is draconian and punitive and will fail as a development communication model.

Many aspects of the draft law are deeply disturbing and the harsh proposed penalties for editors and journalists who fall foul of the proposed rules will curb any hope of a return to an independent Fourth Estate. Read more »

Professor Wadan Narsey argues that Fiji's military regime leader Voreqe Bainimarama (pictured above) must relax his grip on Fiji's media so critical performance political analysis can commence. Photo: Selwyn Manning, Scoop

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Professor Wadan Narsey

Professor Wadan Narsey writes that Fiji’s prime minister and military regime leader Bainimarama must relax censorship of the Pacific state’s media so that the public interest can be served through robust and critical political reporting and analysis.

He asks: “It is distressing that we do not even have the freedom to speak amongst friends at public places, in case someone overhears and conveys some garbled version to the military intelligence who can then threaten you, for no reason at all. What does this powerful Military Government have to fear from elderly academics like me? Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Pacific Media Watch

REGIONAL MEDIA WATCHDOG REPEATS CALL ON FIJI REGIME TO DROP THE DECREE ‘SHAM’

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Pacific Freedom Forum/Pacific Media Watch): Fiji’s military regime can save time, money and credibility by dropping plans to rehash a “media” decree and doing away with the whole thing, says the Pacific Freedom Forum. Read more »

Pacific Scoop:
By Adam Gartrell in Jakarta

Thousands of Indonesians have flocked to “guerrilla” screenings of Balibo since the Australian film was banned
last month.

Indonesia’s Film Censorship Agency banned Robert Connolly’s Balibo just hours before its Jakarta premiere in December, due to its political content.

The acclaimed film depicts Indonesian soldiers brutally murdering five Australia-based newsmen – including New Zealander Gary Cunningham -  in the East Timorese border town of Balibo in 1975, contradicting the official explanation they were killed in crossfire. Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Pacific Media Watch

FIJI ATTORNEY-GENERAL CAUTIONS LAWYER

SUVA (Fiji Broadcasting Corporation/Pacific Media Watch): Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has warned lawyer Imrana Jalal against making comments in the media about cases that are before the courts.

Jalal had told overseas media that charges filed against her by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) were vindictive, and only brought against her due to her opposition against the current government. Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Pacific Media Watch

FIJI REGIME CRITIC CLAIMS SHE’S BEING SINGLED OUT FOR PROSECUTION

MELBOURNE (Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat/Pacific Media Watch):  A Fiji-based human rights activist says she’s been singled out for prosecution because of her opposition to the coup-installed interim government.

The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption, which is bringing a case against Imrana Jalal for operating a business without a licence, has applied to have the trial transferred to the High Court. Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Pacific Media Watch

FIJI MEDIA BILL TALKS AWAIT AG OFFICE

SUVA (Fiji Broadcasting Corporation/Pacific Media Watch): Consultations on Fiji’s new media promulgation will begin once the Attorney-General’s office has finished drafting the decree.

Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni said this in an interview with FBC News today. Read more »