Pacific Wire Service Pacnews limits output after Fiji censor visit
Updated
The Suva based Pacific wire service Pacnews has been forced to censor its output. Radio Australia has learned Government censors escorted by police visited the Pacnews office in Suva on Tuesday night. They forced staff to remove an online story about the U-N Security Council's condemnation of the scrapping of the constitution. The censors also demanded Pacnews allow all its bulletins and updates be vetted by them, before being sent to its suscribers overseas. Pacnews refused, but is now refusing to publish any stories on Fiji, either positive or negative.
Presenter Campbell Cooney
Speaker: PINA board member Cherelle Jackson
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CHERELLE JACKSON: You know, it's thought that the integrity of the media would somehow stay in tact through the representation of Pacnews. Pacnews was the only hope there was in the Fiji media, in terms of spreading out the information that needed to get out to the region about the supression of Fiji media. Now that Pacnews has been suppressed this is very difficult, not just for Fiji media but for all us journalists in the region to come to terms with. It's a very disappointing outcome.
CAMPBELL CLOONEY: There have been suggestions, online and in other places, that on the basis of what's going on in Fiji that PINA should look at moving its wire service elsewhere. I understand that this happened previously. Is this something PINA should consider?
CHERELLE JACKSON: Personally, as a board member and as a journalist myself, I think that this is the best option. The integrity of Pacnews cannot be kept within Suva. The best option is to move the operations of Pacnews itself away from Fiji. Because, you know, this way it saves our staff in both Pacnews and Fiji from any harm or any danger or threats to their lives or their families. But still, Pacnews will continue on as a balanced and independent news provider. So I, personally, as a PINA representative, would agree to the moving of Pacnews operations outside. But again, this is not a decision that has been made by the PINA board and it has yet to be discussed by the board, as well.
CAMPBELL CLOONEY: Do you it's likely when PINA meets in July in Vanuatu?
CHERELLE JACKSON: Certainly this would have to be one of the major items on the agenda.
