Fiji's Fourth Estate Touches The Third Rail.

The proposed inquiry on media independence brokered by the Fiji Human Rights Commission, was considered a threat by Fiji Media Council, prompting the refusal of its Chairman Daryl Tarte to get with the program, as a Fiji Sun article reports.

This is the excerpt:

Media council shies from inquiry
Last updated 7/25/2007 7:41:08 AM

The Fiji Media Council has refused to be involved in an inquiry commissioned by the Fiji Human Rights Commission. Council chairman Daryl Tarte said the FHRC had been planning the inquiry for some time but had not contacted the media council for its contribution. Mr Tarte said he would not comment on the inquiry itself.

FHRC director Dr Shaista Shameem said the FHRC was an independent commission and did not need to consult anyone before it undertook its powers and functions. She said the Media Council and other stakeholders had all been invited to make submissions to the independent consultant.

“This is an inquiry into whether the Fiji media are free and independent and we would like submissions from everyone associated with the media.”

"I hope this puts to an end the baseless speculation in the media of the use of drugs within the national team management," FRU chief executive Timoci Tavanavanua said.
"Several officials have been severely hurt by these false allegations," Tavanavanua said. "I hope those media that helped spread this grog-bowl gossip will have the decency to come clean and apologise."

To date no apology was forthcoming by any media outlets which covered the story. Complaints into the media coverage was exacerbated with this story published by Fiji Times and other leading dailies regarding allegations of drug abuse by certain officials within Fiji Rugby Union. The story of the drug test was featured in
the Guardian article.

The proposed scope, is as follows:

The media inquiry will seek;

• - To provide a historical overview of
  the range of media available in Fiji,
  including ownership and scope of
  operations.


• - To review human rights and other laws
  and policies with respect to freedom and
  independence of the media and
  assess Fiji's compliance
  with them.


• - To review whether the Fiji media comply
  with international standards of corporate
  responsibility for media freedom and
  independence.


• - To review laws and policies on the right
  of the public to information.


• - To review the extent to which the public's
  right to accurate, balanced and up-dated information
  is protected in Fiji.


• - To review current systems in place to protect journalists and other media personnel from violations of their rights.


• - To review whether work conditions of media personnel comply with Constitutional provisions on fair labour relations.


• - To review whether journalists have freedom internally and externally to exercise their functions in the public interest to the extent required by international human rights law

The inquiry into whether the Constitutional right of every person to vote was fully protected in the 2006 elections. It will seek;

• - To provide an overview of international human rights laws on the right to register and vote by secret ballot and review whether laws, policies and institutions of Fiji comply with them.


• - To receive submissions from members of the public, including those in the minority and disadvantaged groups, on their experiences of voting in elections prior to 2006 as well as in 2006, and any recommended improvements.


• - To receive submissions on whether the current voting mechanisms and practice are effective and to make recommendations for review.


• - To make recommendations on required policy and law changes to ensure that the right to register and vote by secret ballot is fully complied with.

This inquiry is welcomed by S.i.F.M as an independent assessment of the media and the nation of Fiji deserves nothing short. This in-depth study should include stories of censorship and gate-keeping by the Editorials, the coverage of breaking news and the impartiality of those observing.

Sadly, these basic parameters have escaped scrutiny of the Fiji Media Council and Fiji Media Watch, both self-declared media watch dogs; realistically both organizations display traits that are usually associated with lapdogs-Silent, Timid and Obedient when called by the public, to sniff out the sins of their masters.




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Media Matters in Fiji

Fiji Media Council Chairman, Daryl Tarte who also chairs the Capital Markets Development Authority (CMDA) made a remark about the gender imbalance in financial institutions in a speech reported by a Fiji Times article.
It was unclear from the context of Tarte's speech, whether the turn around of Fiji as he advocated; also extends to the "gender-imbalance" issue.

This is an excerpt:

Let us turn Fiji around: Tarte

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

BUSINESSES are operating in a confused, negative and stressful environment paving the political way ahead with uncertainty, says Capital Markets Development Authority chairman Daryl Tarte.

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony of new CMDA chief executive officer Mereia Volavola, he said people often invested at a time when there was blood on the street.

"Fortunately, we do not have any blood on the street but there is an incredible challenge for all of us. Times like this present a great opportunity for lateral thinking, to be innovative, to be bold, to be visionary," he said.

Strong, dynamic and wise leadership was sadly lacking, Mr Tarte said.

"We all know there are opportunities here in Fiji and we are all in a position to stimulate the capital markets.

"It is incumbent on us all to think positively and turn Fiji around. We the stakeholders in the capital markets must make this happen," he said. [Tarte] called for more brainstorming sessions by stakeholders.

In welcoming Ms Volavola, he said CMDA had come full circle after a succession of two CEOs, Julie Apted and Suren Kumar who was unable to make it to the handover as his wife was taken ill in New Zealand.

"Looking at the staff of CMDA, I see we have a serious gender imbalance. It is female dominated. Even the South Pacific Stock Exchange is led by a woman," Mr Tarte said.

He said Mr Kumar had to hand over by phone and email with Ms Volavola.

"What attracted him ( Mr Kumar) to us was his obvious energy, motivation and passion for the capital markets industry. We have not been disappointed. For him, it has been a 24/7 job. That was a tough call, succeeding Julie," he said.

On Mr Kumar's leaving he said "none of us are in control of the events that shape our destinies".

Does Tarte implicitly declare that there is a 'glass ceiling' for men, in the stock brokering industry? Tarte's ability to chair the boards of both entities, raise serious questions of conflict of interest. Where does the line of demarcation lie; when the Fiji Media Council is asked to provide an impartial review of media coverage in CMDA's performance?

One can only wonder how Fiji's Old Media can fathom the issue of wrong messages; as the Fiji Times Editorial accuses the Interim Government of.

This is the excerpt of the Editorial:

The wrong message

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

THE move by the interim Government to block prominent Suva lawyer Graham Leung from leaving the country sends a terrible message to the world.

Mr Leung is not under investigation for any suspected or real wrongdoing. He has no court order against him preventing him leaving the country.

Mr Leung's "crime" it seems, is to have said things that do not meet the approval of the interim Government. Certainly he has been forthright in his views on the December 5 takeover and subsequent events, speaking at a recent Hong Kong law conference about how he believes our nation's judiciary risks being seen as compromised through what he contends are some legally dubious appointments.

Mr Leung is an internationally respected lawyer. He is a vice-president of Law Asia, itself one of the world's most respected bodies of legal minds. Perhaps that position is now working against him too. Law Asia president Mah Weng Kwai was set to head the Fiji Independent Commission Against Crime until there was an uproar about it, with much of the outrage coming from within Law Asia itself.

And Mr Leung had been in the interim Government's sights before that. His law firm has been black-banned from doing work for the interim Government because it is involved in legal challenges to the legitimacy of the regime. The interim Government claims it is a conflict of interest.

Mr Leung has applied for a judicial review of the travel ban and is awaiting a hearing date.

In the meantime, it seems the only person who can fully explain why he cannot leave the country is interim Home Affairs Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, who has so far refused to tell Mr Leung why he is on the immigration watch-list. He is, of course, not the only person in such a situation and joins a seemingly ever-growing group.

The interim Government is desperate to tell the world that all is normal in the country. It is also desperate to win international acceptance of its actions and continually argues it should not be punished because it is acting for the greater good of the nation.

Banning dissidents or people who do not meet some mystery criteria is not the action of a government that has nothing to hide but reeks of a repressive regime intent on silencing alternative viewpoints. The truth is that in this electronic age, banning people from travelling will not stop them being heard and therefore the bans come across as, at the very least, petty vindictiveness.

Once again, the nation has lost ground in the eyes of the world and yesterday's events will do nothing to redeem our reputation in that arena.

T he FT Editorial begs the question of, what is the right message?
Is the Fiji Times along with the cartel called Fiji Media Council, the sole determiner of whether a message is right or wrong; right or left?

The Fiji Media mongols defended the role of the media's coverage in a Fiji Times article.

This is the excerpt of the Fiji Times article.

Media is only 'playing its role'

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

AT least two media organisations have labelled the comments made by interim minister for health Dr Jona Senilagakali as a mistake.

Dr Senilagakali said on Sunday the steadfast stand taken by the Fiji Nursing Association were due to the union leaders who were paid to make noise and the media for the headlines it used.

Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter said the comments by Dr Senilagakali were the usual tactic of pinning the blame on the messenger.

"I think he's making the usual mistake of blaming the messenger," Mr Hunter said. He said the media was only there to report on what the nurses wanted.

Communications Fiji Limited managing director William Parkinson said he did not know how the media could be blamed on the issues raised by the nurses. "The media shouldn't be blamed because they are there to cover the story and that is our role."

Mr Parkinson said the media was not a player as it was between government and the FNA.

The Fiji Times, in an editorial comment yesterday, said Dr Senilagakali should sit down and address the nurses' problems rather than blame the media and the union.
End of story

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Fiji Media and Ethical Deviations.

In a Fiji TV news segment, the Interim Finance Minister, Mahendra Chaudary castigated certain media outlets including Fiji TV and Fiji Times for their gloom and doom perspectives, regarding current events in Fiji.


This criticism prompted an equally scathing response from the Fiji Times editorial, which was reinforced with a parodical stance.










This an excerpt:

Get real Mr Chaudhry

Monday, July 02, 2007

Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry is back to his favourite pastime of blaming the media when things go wrong. He shoots the messenger when he is criticised in public or when his plans start to fall apart.

He dislikes admitting any weaknesses and failures, and points fingers at everyone else in particular the media but never himself for any shortcomings. But now Mr Chaudhry accuses this newspaper and another media organisation of biased and negative reporting, and says we are unhelpful to the economy and discouraging investment.

He alludes to the idea that the media somehow is contributing to the poor state of the economy and making it difficult efforts to turn it around. Its a novel idea, but frankly ridiculous.

The media did not remove the previous Government, the media are not keeping tourists away, the media are not putting various streams of aid funding at risk. Reporting on the state of the economy is reporting on an aspect of Fiji today that touches us all. By not reporting experts who tell us the economy is in trouble, we would not be telling the truth.

If Mr Chaudhry every now and then puts his ear to the ground, he will discover the reality of the situation faced by ordinary citizens, whose plight he frequently advocates he upholds.

It is not in the best interests of the people to try to tell us things are rosy and forward looking when they are not. Any responsible media will not want to mislead or deliberately lie to the people. We at all times try to present the truth. In the course of our duty to discover and disclose frequently, we know it will bring us into conflict with government at all levels because we know political interests are often served by secrecy or at least selective disclosures.

But it does not mean that we are to be blamed whenever things go wrong for the government. Our job is to highlight the shortcomings and failures, as well as the successes, if any.

The governments job is to fix those problems. So Mr Chaudhry should stop wasting his energy in shooting the messenger and try to convince his colleagues in the interim Cabinet to wake up and turn the economy around.

Start with tourism for example. It is perhaps also time Mr Chaudhry abandons the thinking that he is always right and everyone else, including this newspaper, is wrong.

This issue of Fiji Times bias, has been raised before by other independent analysts and other media publications. International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) article, also illuminates the earlier observations of Fiji Times bias, post 1999 elections. Obviously there is no love lost between Fiji Times and Messr Chaudary.

FT Editorial defended Chaudary's recent accusations and stated that:

"Any responsible media will not want to mislead or deliberately lie to the people.
We at all times try to present the truth".

With all due respect to the Fiji Times, the readers will determine who presents the truth, not them. For history shows us that the Fiji Times has not disclosed other complaints on their very impartiality; by others,
apart from Chaudary and it is rather parochial to discount the valid points raised by them.

Micheal Field's article also covers this perceived bias in the Fiji Times.
This is an excerpt:

FURIOUS ROW AS ACADEMIC SUGGESTS FIJI'S MEDIA HELPED CAUSE A COUP

by Michael Field

AUCKLAND, Dec 17 (AFP) - A row has broken out in Fiji over claims the news media may have helped cause the coup which bought down the country's government in May.

As befits a small country, it quickly turned nasty, pitting David Robie, head of the University of the South Pacific's journalism programme, against the lively local media headed by the Rupert Murdoch owned Fiji Times.

On May 19 plotters led by George Speight seized Parliament and held the government hostage for 58 days and only freed them after the government had been deposed by the military.

Unlike the 1987 coups in Fiji, the media this time had no controls imposed on them and even had full access to Speight and Parliament the whole time he held hostages.

Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, Fiji's first ethnic Indian prime minister, had held office for just a year, marked by bad media relations.

It climaxed in October 1999 when Chaudhry asked whether the Times was "carrying the torch for people engaged in seditious activities?

"The newspaper needs to take a serious look at where it is headed. Is it not fanning the fires of sedition and communalism by giving undue prominence to stories that are really non-stories?"

Robie, a journalist originally from New Zealand, in a just published academic paper, said some sectors of the Fiji media waged a bitter campaign against the administration and its rollback of privatisation.

Chaudhry got off on the wrong foot with the media industry virtually from the day he took office, Robie says, appointing his son private secretary in a move that damaged his credibility.

But the Fiji Times "appeared to wage a relentless campaign against the fledgling government, both through its editorials and 'slanted" news columns".

Political commentator Jone Dakuvula, a member of former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka's Soqosoqo Ni Vakavulewa Ni Taukei party is quoted saying the Times was "blatantly antagonistic to the Government and focused on highlighting allegations of corruption, nepotism and sexual indiscretions" against Chaudhry.

Robie says no journalist seriously analysed the party's manifesto in order to help public understanding of what the government had pledged to do.

"The evidence suggests that The Fiji Times, in particular, had a hostile editorial stance towards the Chaudhry Government.... The focus of news media coverage, particularly the Fiji Times, after the election was to play up conflict.... It tended to play to the agenda of politicians who wanted to inflame indigenous Fijians against the government."

Fiji Times publisher Alan Robinson says Robie's paper was academically and professionally dishonest. "Out of the 106 editorials we ran on the Coalition Government, 54 were in favour and 52 against," he said.

Of the coup itself, Robie said the media "offered Speight a profile and credibility - it aided the rebel leader's propaganda war. "The media, in fact, fuelled the crisis and gave Speight a false idea about his importance and support - it gave him 'political fuel'."

Radio FM96 boss and the head of the Pacific Islands News Association, William Parkinson, accused Robie of "self aggrandisement". Parkinson said the relationship pre-coup with Chaudhry had been an unfortunate one.

"But that was no fault of the media but the fault of the members of the Government who did such an abysmal job of getting their message across and then tried to bully and threaten the media when they held them accountable," Parkinson said.

FM96 news editor Vijay Narayan said he found Robie's paper offensive. "We found it was our duty, whoever was in government, to report on whatever promises were being made. George Speight was part of the story. We had to have someone there to find out what was going on."

Jale Moala, who was editor of the Daily Post at the time of the coup, noted the argument that the coup situation "may not have deteriorated as quickly as it did if the media had played a more responsible role."

It underlined the dilemma of Pacific journalism: "People and events are usually so closely interwoven and related, they can affect the reporting."

The following excerpt are from the Pacific Media Watch article commenting on the role of the media's role in the 2000 coup.

FIJI TIMES DRAWS FLAK FOR 'BIASED' CAMPAIGN

Times of India, 19 December 2000

SUVA: The Rupert Murdoch-owned Fiji Times newspaper came under fire over the weekend for allegedly waging a "bitter campaign" against ousted prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry and the People's Coalition government after their election last year.

Journalism lecturer David Robie made the attack at a media conference in Mooloolaba, Australia. Robie, a New Zealander, circulated a paper titled "Coup Coup Land: The Press and the Putsch in Fiji," in which he questioned the professionalism of Fiji journalists and the news organizations the worked for.

He claimed some female journalists practiced skirt journalism to the point of being sexually involved with politicians in order to get information. The writings and editorial slant were frequently based on the journalist's race and personal political opinions, added Robie, the head of the USP's journalism school.

The Fiji Times, he said, raged a relentless campaign against the Chaudhry government not long after its election in 1999.

"In spite of its claims to the contrary, that it treated all governments of the day similarly, the newspaper was blatantly agonistic," Robie claimed, adding that the "newspaper's reporting was spearheaded by a journalist with close ties with opposition indigenous nationalists."

He also hit out at what he said was an unusually close relationship the media enjoyed with coup leader George Speight and the hostage takers in the early weeks of the May 19 coup, saying it raised serious ethical questions.

There were no immediate comments front he management of the Fiji Times. The 120-year old newspaper is the largest selling daily and most profitable media organization in Fiji. (India Abroad News Service)

USP STAFF SUPPORT DAVID ROBIE

Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff , 21 December 2000

Dear Vice-Chancellor

I am aware of the media campaign to discredit Mr David Robie and the Journalism Programme at USP. At the moment the Association of University of the South Pacific Staff is not concerned with the contents of Mr. David Robie's paper, but more on the campaign to curb academic freedom of a staff member who has presented a paper to a conference and has given his opinion and views on a number of issues relating to the role of media in the Fiji crisis.

The AUSPS believes that Mr Robie is being unneccessarily defamed and together with him some elements of the Fiji media are trying to discredit the journalism programme at USP.

AUSPS knows that the journalism programme is a popular programme and has attracted widespread acclaim under Mr. Robie's leadership. We believe that Mr. Robie is only doing his work as an academic and its becomes the university's responsibility to defend him and the programme from unnecessary comments from some elements of the media.

I am sure that you will defend Mr. Robie's right to speak as an academic and if the Fiji media disagrees with him then it should be debated publicly and David's paper should be given coverage by the media and not only their criticism of the paper.

The AUSPS will be closely following the developments and further comments from the Fiji media.

Thank you

Dr Biman Prasad
President
Association University of the South Pacific Staff
Suva
Fiji Islands

ACADEMIC STAFF THROW SUPPORT BEHIND JOURNALISM HEAD

The Academic Staff Association at the University of the South Pacific has thrown its support behind the head of the university's journalism course, David Robie, whose latest clash with sections of the Fiji media has led to a call for his dismissal.

Sean Dorney reports that the Staff Association alleges that several news organisaitons in Fiji are waging an orchestrated campaign against Mr Robie.

In an academic paper delivered to a conference in Queensland earlier this month, David Robie criticised most of the regular Fiji media contrasting their coverage of the coup unfavourably with the work of his students claiming that one major strength of his journalism training website was what he called its incisive analysis.

His attack on the Fiji Times for its alleged slanted news and bias against the Chaudhry Government prompted the Fiji Times to write to the Vice Chancellor accusing Robie of self-promotion and academic dishonesty.

The Staff Association's spokesman, Professor Scott MacWilliam, says the issue is one of academic freedom. He says that at a meeting on campus, the Vice Chancellor, Esekia Solofa, has supported that principle and defended Mr Robie's competence and integrity. Prof MacWilliam says Mr Robie is entitled to express his views of the role of the media and the association rejects any call for his sacking.

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