Dialogue way forward for Fiji media: PINA

By Maryann Lockington

Dialogue is the best way for Fiji media to be part of the democratic process, Pacific Island News Association (PINA) Manager said yesterday at USP's World Press Freedom Day celebrations.

PINA Manager and Training Coordinator Matai Akauola presented to student journalists, members of the press and high school students about the media.

 Akauola said that dialogue was the Pacific way of solving differences and issues.

“We need to look for strategies that work for situations we have in Fiji today,” he said.

Akauola said that dialogue with the government works better than trying to implement western concepts.

“We are in Fiji, there have been four military coups, we are not in United States or in New Zealand,” he said.

“We have to deal with the realities on the ground."

Akauola said that democracy and the media worked hand-in-hand, but Fiji has had no parliament for seven years.

“Let the democratic process move forward, let’s not derail it because if you want to do anything, do it from within parliament,” he said.

Akauola said that he believed Fijians were free to speak as Fijians and that there should be nothing to hold them back.

He added that a written media code of ethics was good but journalists should be a walking code of ethics.

Originally published in Wansolwara