FIJI: Media freedom ranking challenged
Updated
In Fiji, there's criticism of a World Press Freedom survey which has seen the country tumble from 58th most free in the world, to 107th.The international media freedom group Reporters without Borders now ranks Fiji behind Guatemala, Turkey and Indonesia, and just ahead of Guinea, Krgyzstan and Cameroon.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speakers: Darryl Tarte, Chairman of the Fiji Media Council
HILL: Reporters without borders compiles its ranking of relative freedom of the press in different countries by sending out questionaries to reporters, editors and organisations, asking about threats to journalists, access to information, censorship, intimdation and legal restrictions.
But questions are being asked in Fiji over how it came to the conclusion that the country's media freedom has fallen so far, so fast.
Radio Fiji journalist Ioane Burese says the data the report was based on may reflect the situation immediately after last year's coup.
BURESE: Right now, I think the rating by the Reporters Without Borders seems to be a little harsh at this time. I like to think that the report took some time being prepared and that information received could have been based on the initial stages on the initial developments immediately after the coup. The media is pretty free to report the national state of affairs in light of events of December 5th that the revolution there has taken place since then. As I suggested, the lifting of the public emergency regulations has allowed us to do so. But even before that, for a short period, before the reimposition of the decree, we were able to run freely in the stories of national interest, provided that they had a balanced comment from the military council. The military government and the interim prime minister and the interim administration. I do agree that at one stage immediately after the coup, well there was a time when reporters, publishers, editors and all of that, people were hauled up to the camp or to the military headquarters on an almost regular basis for questioning of reports that were seen to be detrimental to the military council in the interim regime. But I think what the purpose of the exercise is that it's made us aware of what the military council and the interim government is entrenched, it is in power, it's here to stay and to ensure that it wants done is carried out. But under these right as we speak, we've been pretty much Bruce, been able to report on things as they develop.
HILL: That assessment is back up by Darryl Tarte, Chairman of the Fiji Media Council.
He questions the accuracy of the Reporters Without Borders assessment, saying that there is plenty of media freedom in Fiji, despite some problems in the wake of the coup.
TARTE: I don't think that rating has any credibility at all. There was an attempt to censure the media after the coups of December 5th last year, but that quickly changed. And although for some time, there is still concern in the media circles about writing stories and there was certainly a degree of intimidation by the military. But in recent months, the media in Fiji has operated almost normally, as normal as it was prior to December 5th. So the rating might have been applicable immediately after December 5rth last year, but certainly not at the present time.
HILL: Well, how do you think Reporters Without Borders came up with this rating?
TARTE: I have no idea how they accumulated this information, what they based the rating. But it's certainly not correct.
HILL: You would, I guess, say that Fiji hasn't helped itself with press freedom lately, that there have been some niggles between the interim government and the media though?
TARTE: There have been, but I think this demonstrates that the media is still free and independent in Fiji and they have been bold enough to make criticism of the government and the government have naturally reacted. Well, this is typical of a free media operating.
HILL: Do you think that this is giving people overseas a false impression to what's going on in Fiji?
TARTE: Yeah, it certainly does give a false interpretation of the situation in Fiji, just as the travel restrictions and the travel advisories give a false impression of the situation in Fiji. There's absolutely no reason for any concern by visitors coming to Fiji of any danger to them, that simply does not exist.
