Fiji Media & The Echo Chamber In The Pacific.

It appears that the rumors of the dismissal of Fiji's Interim Finance Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry has finally been laid to rest. However, it has become apparent that the many media organizations in Fiji and abroad, were so overly eager to report a scoop and that resulted in a web of inaccuracies, ricocheting across the Pacific.

Such parroting of gossip and unbridled repetition of inaccurate statements may tend to be the hallmark of some media outlets, that are quantity driven and short in quality.
It also seems that, some of the media outlets were raring at the bit, to unleash a salvo of gloating reports about Chaudhry's sacking, allegedly for his role in taxing the conglomerate of Water exporters, like Fiji Water; that in the process the media outlets, knowingly or unknowingly contributed to the rumor mongering by quoting unnamed sources, that left themselves in an unenviable position of having an egg, plastered on their collective faces.

SiFM has chosen a selection of articles, that provide a comparative analysis of sorts, to the ping-pong of rumors across the Pacific.








On the examination of the Google search of Fiji contains the following stories.
One interesting aspect, was on the Radio Australia article (pictured above) titled "Fiji Minister Chaudhry Facing the Sack".



When the article is clicked, the title and content has been quietly changed to this new article (pictured below).




Sydney Morning Herald article:

Signs of rift between Fiji leader, arm


July 24, 2008 - 6:21PM

Fresh signs are emerging of a damaging rift between Fiji's coup leader and his closest military supporters who have shored up his government.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama has been forced to deny that he met on Thursday with his most trusted military advisers to discuss demands that he sack his right-hand man, Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry.

Chaudhry has acted as chief political ally to Bainimarama since the commodore led a bloodless military coup in 2006.

Chaudhry's Fiji Labour Party was the only major political party to back the putsch, which the international community has condemned.

Speculation has been mounting that Bainimarama might allow Chaudhry to take over from him as prime minister, and that Bainimarama could take over the presidency.

Such a move could afford Bainimarama immunity from prosecution over the coup and allow him to remain influential in Fiji's affairs. But any such plans could come unstuck of Bainimarama loses the support of his military commanders.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark this week said Bainimarama could be planning the next stage of his coup.

Asked about the possibility of him becoming president, Prime Minister Helen Clark noted there was already someone in that role, and "perhaps that is the next stage of the coup".

Media reports in Fiji on Thursday said a senior member of Bainimarama's interim government had been told to quit.

Former prime minister Laisenia Qarase, who was ousted by Bainimarama, said he believed the military council had demanded Chaudhry go.

"It could be the start of a very serious split between the council and the interim prime minister," Qarase said.

"This is not the first time that they have differed."

Chaudhry's falling out with senior military figures has been linked to the introduction of new taxes that this week forced the shut down of Fiji Water, whose exports are a big earner for the country.

The taxes, which forced the company to send about 500 workers home, have since been scrapped.

Bainimarama on Thursday held separate meetings with the military council and with Chaudhry about the Fiji Water situation. He denied Chaudhry had been sacked, or that he intervened to save his ally's skin.

Chaudhry also denied the military council had tried to force him out. "I was never asked to step down from my position as finance minister," he told the Fiji Times.
"Who orchestrated the speculations? This was done by my critics and the western and international countries."

But Chaudhry reportedly said late on Thursday that his job in taking Fiji's economy forward was almost complete, and he could soon consider resigning to prepare for elections.

Bainimarama has previously said interim cabinet ministers must resign if they are planing to run.

© 2008 AAP

A podcast from Radio NZ interviews Legend FM's news director, Vijay Narayan in attempt to flesh out the truth, from the speculation and innuendo as featured in a Radio Australia news article that, quoted from New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark, regarding the intentions of Fiji's Interim P.M in seeking the Presidential office.

The excerpt of the Radio Australia online article:

NZ PM says Fiji's Bainimarama may seek presidency

Updated Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:16pm AEST

NZ PM says Fiji's Bainimarama may seek presidency

New Zealand's prime minister, Helen Clark, says Commodore Frank Bainimarama could be looking for an exit strategy because he is guilty of treason. [AFP/Reuters]

The New Zealand prime minister, Helen Clark, says Fiji coup leader and interim prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, may seek to become the country's president.

Our New Zealand correspondent, Kerri Ritchie, says rumours about such a move have been circulating in Fiji for some time. Ms Clark says she had her doubts when Commodore Bainimarama made his promise last year to hold elections by March 2009.

"I must say I wasn't convinced by the assurances he gave the Forum leaders, so I wrote everything down," she said.

Ms Clark says Commodore Bainimarama could be looking for an exit strategy because he is guilty of treason. She says it is possible he may try to seize the presidency. "There's someone in that position at the moment, perhaps that is the next stage of the coup," she said.

Rumours have been circulating that Commodore Bainimarama could re-appoint Mahendra Chaudhry, currently the finance minister, as the country's prime minister.

An article in Pacific magazine by Ricardo Morris, attempts to sum up the day and justify the source of confusion. The excerpt of Morris' article:

Suva Thursday: A Day Of Leaks, Machinations, "Secret" Meetings And Speculation

By Ricardo Morris in Suva
Friday: July 25, 2008

For weeks it was clear all was not well on the “fourth floor” of the Home Affairs Building — the offices of Fiji’s military chief and interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

But what exactly was wrong?


On Thursday, Fiji’s interim regime could not contain the leaks from within its own ranks and the resulting rumor turned it into one of those dreaded Suva days when people wondered if more political unrest loomed.

Last week, Bainimarama’s “right-hand man,” his Permanent Secretary Parmesh Chand resigned in controversial circumstances.

This week, the bottled water industry was plunged into crisis as a 20-cents-per-liter tax on locally-bottled water took its toll. Water companies pleaded for the regime to reconsider the tax on both exports and local sales but to no avail. A week after the tax was imposed on July 1, the 10 companies collectively agreed to halt production.

But it wasn’t until Natural Waters of Viti Limited, the bottlers of world-famous Fiji Water, shut down its plant at Yaqara on Wednesday and sent more than 500 workers home, that Bainimarama decided to act.

The man accused of precipitating both the incidents is interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry.

Fiji Labor Party leader Chaudhry and respected civil servant Chand do not see eye-to-eye, according to a Pacific Magazine source who spoke to Chand several times well before his resignation last week.

Chand has persistently refused to talk about why he quit but the Fiji Times reported it was allegedly over “meddling senior interim Cabinet ministers and broken lines of communication.”

On Thursday, Chaudhry’s fate appeared to hang in the balance for his handling of the bottled water issue. The night before Bainimarama had resolved it by repealing the tax imposed by Chaudhry.

This came after Interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and members of Bainimarama’s Military Council — not Chaudhry — met with the water industry representatives on Wednesday night.

By Thursday morning, rumours were rife — on Fiji’s political blogosphere, among NGOs and on the streets — that the Military Council wanted Chaudhry to be sacked. First Bainimarama and then Chaudhry went on air to deny that a sacking or resignation was imminent.

Explaining Chaudhry’s sidelining, Bainimarama told Legend FM News he was not able to get in touch with Chaudhry on Wednesday afternoon since his mobile phone was turned off. He added that he wanted Sayed-Khaiyum to meet the industry representatives because he was neutral.

Compounding the impression that Chaudhry is in an embattled position, Parmesh Chand Thursday agreed to return to office, in what the Public Service Commission chairman Rishi Ram described as a “unanimous decision” between Chand and the commission.

Throughout the day, a flurry of meetings was taking place starting with Chaudhry meeting Army Chief-of-Staff Colonel Mohammed Aziz first thing in the morning. According to Chaudhry it was only a briefing on what had transpired in the meeting with the bottled water industry the night before.

After that Chaudhry and Bainimarama — who is ill — met at the commander’s residence but they both denied Chaudhry’s resignation was discussed.

Immediately after Chaudhry had left, Bainimarama’s Military Council and Sayed-Khaiyum went up to his Flagstaff residence.

The Military Council included Chief-of-Staff Colonel Mohammed Aziz, Immigration Director Commander Viliame Naupoto, military third-in-command Lieutenant-Colonel Ratu Tevita Roko Ului Mara and Police Commissioner Commodore Esala Teleni.

It is not clear what the meeting was about and officials would not comment.

A press conference had been announced at which Aziz was to have addressed the media but this was cancelled without explanation after the meeting with Bainimarama.

In a press conference late on Thursday Chaudhry reiterated there was “no question” about his position in the interim Cabinet and denied the issue involving Parmesh Chand was discussed with Bainimarama.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Chaudhry told journalists. He also laughed off questions about an alleged deal he struck with Bainimarama to leave office in a month.

Earlier in the day, Chaudhry claimed to Legend FM News the rumors of his alleged resignation were orchestrated by sections of the media “vested interests.”

He defended the decision to impose the tax on bottled water, saying it was a collective Cabinet decision. An emergency Cabinet session will take place on Friday morning at which Chaudhry says he will gauge the ministers’ reaction to the repealing before making a final decision.

Chaudhry also suggested to Legend FM he may quit soon, although not because of problems within Cabinet but because his work in rebuilding the economy was almost complete.

He said once he was satisfied the economy was on track he would resign and begin prepare to contest the general election, the date of which is still uncertain. All this comes as doubt grows over whether Bainimarama will keep his promise to hold elections in March 2009.

The regime has insisted electoral reforms and its People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress must be in place before the country goes to the polls. Last week Bainimarama said the target of early 2009 was unachievable telling Radio Fiji News “there will be no elections next year.”

However, the international community has been putting pressure on the regime to keep its word. The European Union reiterated its stand this month that it will not release aid money if the regime fails to hold elections early next year. Most of the aid is earmarked to help prop up Fiji’s struggling sugar industry.

While Fiji’s interim regime is at pains to project a united front, Thursday’s events — the leaks and the public contradictions of the protagonists — showed that that front may be bulging at the seams.

While Ricardo Morris mentions that the story was on the blogosphere on Thursday morning:

By Thursday morning, rumours were rife — on Fiji’s political blogosphere, among NGOs and on the streets — that the Military Council wanted Chaudhry to be sacked.

Perhaps the blogs Morris is referring to, are the postings on the blogs: Solivakasama and Rawfiji news, both of which hardly fit the description of accurate and reliable sources of information.



Such particular use of quotes from unnamed sources were instrumental in the W.M.D facade leading up to the Iraq invasion, as described in an article: "Second Time Around" appearing in the American Journalism Review.

Disappointingly, these flaws have reared their ugly head in the South West Pacific, and as such when reporters attribute their stories to an unnamed source, they are oblivious to the fact that, such reports are erroneous.
News outlets down line, which quote the erroneous stories fall into the same trap and their end product is rumors and speculation dressed up as fact, undeniably the case in this coverage.

By all accounts, the story of Chaudhry's dismissal or sacking, embarrassingly fails the basic test on accuracy- one of the pillars of quality journalism. I wonder if any media outlet would have the testicular fortitude to issue an apology for distributing such maligned reports? Or should the injured party, ponder about taking legal action against these media outlets?

A Canada Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) website outlines some guidelines when attributing to unnamed sources and it is highly advisable for journalists (print and broadcast)in the Pacific region, to start studying up on these guidelines, to prevent a repeat occurrence of 'echo chamber' reporting and drive-by journalism.

Social Bookmarking

Club Em Designs