Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF)

Journalists and editors in Samoa need to overcome their industry differences if they are to have any hope of ensuring plans for a Media Council do not suffer political interference, warns the Pacific Freedom Forum.

A statement by the Nouvelles Calédoniennes Journalists’ Association accuses the French High Commissioner of putting pressure on their editorial board, which they say has given in to his demands to publish an article he authored attacking the paper’s journalists.

Fiji’s media authority announced on 8 October that it was looking at extending registration requirements to foreign media trainers and organisations that conducted media training in Fiji, on issues including media freedom, democracy, human rights and elections.

It’s important that where possible, national bodies such as the Journalists Association of (Western) Samoa be fostered to promote media autonomy and integrity, said a regional media monitoring group.

People are encouraged to join around 200 organisations supporting the adoption of 13 basic principles applying existing human rights law to modern digital surveillance.

IFEX members issued a joint call for amendments to a deeply-flawed draft media law in Somalia before it goes to parliament for approval in August.

Magazine publishers in West Papua, Indonesia had already distributed 2,000 copies of a magazine’s inaugural edition when police arrived and instructed them not to distribute any further copies; the issue’s cover featured the West Papua pro-independence flag.

The Samoan government is urged to halt plans for a state media council and return to the original timeframe recommended by the country’s law reform commission.