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MEDIA DECREE MUST GO: Professor Biman Prasad wants free, fair and credible media; Government zips up - it won't comment on the issue!

16/1/2015

11 Comments

 
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Fiji’s future as a social, economic and politically stable nation cannot be guaranteed unless freedom of expression is expressed through a free, fair and credible media.

We firmly believe this is not pessimism but a reality.

The media industry in this country has been under siege since the military coup of December 2006.  For more than  5 years, especially after the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution on 10th April 2009, have been turbulent and devastating for the media industry and media organisations.

The work of the media industry, especially after the start of the coup culture in 1987, has been remarkable, balanced, informative and impartial, except for a brief period after the 1987 coups.

However, the enforcement of media censorship under Public Emergency Regulations after April 2009 until January 2012 and the promulgation of the Media Industry Development Decree 2010 has seriously undermined media freedom.

Media throughout the world is generally regarded as the Fourth Estate – the last line of defenders of democracy, human rights, dignity and justice.

Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through the media regardless of frontiers”.

This freedom and right is reposed in the people, which the State and politicians must respect at all times.

The Media Industry Development Decree is regressive and suppresses Media Freedom because it imposes restrictions and prescribes heavy penalties.

Government must through Parliament repeal the Media Industry Development Decree because we believe the media should not be regulated by the State or any Government.

The enactment of Freedom of Information legislation so that the media and members of the public have access to official Government documents in order to effectively promote accountability and transparency.

The restoration of Parliamentary democracy has seen little change in the behavior of large sections of our media and individual journalists.

The Media Industry Development Authority is essentially an enforcer of Government’s agenda as far as the media is concerned.  Just two days ago the MIDA Chairman  spoke about the need for focus to shift on freedom of expression and ethics. Words are mere rhetoric.  The MIDA Decree renders freedom and ethics meaningless.

And we will tell you why: -

Media Industry Development Authority

PART 2 of the Decree outlines the structure and functions of the Media Industry Development Authority. The minister appoints the chairperson and five other members, and can also remove them. This is an obvious and major conflict of interest.

Section 17 provides the Authority immunity from legal proceedings, civil or criminal.

While the media is bound by restrictive rules and regulations, the media authority can act with virtual impunity. Where is the balance and fairness government is preaching about? Where is the accountability?

Section 22 states content must not include material, which is (a) against the public interest or order; (b) against national interest; or (c) creates communal discord. This is a very broad provision open to interpretation by the government.  It is like a noose around the media’s neck. This provision is unnecessary because  offences are already adequately covered under Crimes Decree, under the Public Order Act on racial and religious vilification, hate speech, and economic sabotage.

Part 5, covering enforcement, allows the Authority to force the disclosure of specified documents or information as well as the right to enter, search and confiscate documents.

When its comes to breach of confidentiality, the standard practice in democracies is that it referred to the Courts, which rely on precedence, and can be expected, to come up with fair, impartial judgments. In Fiji, this function has been usurped by MIDA, which is controlled by government through appointments made by the minister. This is yet another noose around the media’s neck.

Media Tribunal
 
PART 8 deals with the Media Tribunal, which consists of a Chairperson – a qualified judge appointed by the President on the advice of the all-powerful Attorney General.

The Tribunal adjudicates complaints received from MIDA. It has to comply with the directions of the responsible Minister pertaining policy. The Tribunal also has to consider the Attorney General’s submissions during certain proceedings. This paves the way for the AG to potentially influence hearing. It makes hearings vulnerable to political interference.  It increases the level of government control and pressure on the tribunal. This is by no means an independent tribunal. It is tied to government in too many ways.

Part 10 details the powers of the Tribunal, including ordering fines of up to FJD100,000 against media companies; FJD25,000 against publishers/editors and FJD1,000 against other media employees as monetary compensation to complainants. Upon conviction for any breaches of the media code, a media organisation could be fined $100,000; a publisher/editor $25,000 and/or two years imprisonment; and a journalist or media $1000 and/or two years imprisonment.  This is over the top and unnecessary, especially when we have defamation laws in place. It’s an example of a duplicitous and tricky legislation – a waste of time and resources. Such payouts can ruin media companies and journalists. To protect themselves, journalists and media companies they will self-censor.

Media organisations can challenge decisions in the Court of Appeal, but only for awards in excess of $50,000. Media workers have no such options, even though the awards can lead to financial ruin in a sector where salaries are low compared to other professions. While the defendants have little recourse, complainants or the Authority can challenge Tribunal decisions in the Court of Appeal. This is another example of the lopsided and one-sided legislation designed to favour the government and give it control of the media.

No Justification
 
Government justified the media decree on social, economic and political stability. However, all that these restrictive provisions have done is push opposition views into anonymous online media platforms, where they have re-emerged in more extreme forms.

People have lost faith in the mainstream news media.  Instead, they are relying on blogs, where people are posting comments, some of which are   full of rumours, misinformation, incitement to racial violence, calls for revolution, hate crime and even terrorism. Government’s misguided media policy is to be partly blamed for this sorry state of affairs. In other words, the media decree has done nothing for social stability. In fact, it has increased tensions.
 
Balance

There is a  requirement that all news stories have to be balanced or they can’t be published.  This is a further sign of legislation gone mad. This provision has simply become a loophole to evade media scrutiny by not responding to media questions. But if a story is positive towards the government, this legal requirement is ignored without consequence. This is selective use of the media law by government for its own disadvantage. What we are saying is that the media decree is open to abuse by the State. The publication of the Fiji Sun today (Thursday 15th January)) running in entirety the whole Government response to the Opposition’s concerns regarding political party office resourcing without any balance and accuracy perfectly illustrates what we are saying.

Every international organisation of repute has expressed concern about the regressive and draconian provisions of the MIDA Decree.  The latest was the United Nations Human Rights Commission late last year.

Genuine democracy, equal citizenry, freedom of expression, accountability and transparency, which are ethics being paraded by Government, can only be achieved through a free, fair, credible and non-regulated media.

Biman Prasad

Leader

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11 Comments
kutta
15/1/2015 05:33:39 pm

To the MIDA chiuwawa Aswind. read the NFP statement carefully. It says the Fiji Sun on 15th January ran the whole Government response to Opposition concerns regarding political party office resourcing without any balance and accuracy. This a clear breach of the media decree. Why aren't you jumping up and down, and issuing incomprehensible statements, like you usually do when media criticise government? Is it because you are nothing but a government stooge?

NFP is equally blame. Why not get off your arses and lodge a complaint with MIDA against the Sun? Sending out media statements on its own is insufficient. Be strategic instead of noisy. Lodge a complaint with MIDA today.

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Yep
15/1/2015 07:30:20 pm

A free and fair and frank - meaning honesty - media is an indispensable part of a genuinely democratic society. Such a media is meant to act as the public eye to keep the political bastards honest. An honest government has nothing to fear from the media. But governments that have things to hide from the public prefer to have the kind of media the Fiji Sun has become - a propaganda paper of the government.Since this government has been in power - and that's from 2006 - it has given ample proof that it does NOT believe in a free press. It only pays lip service to it. That trend is likely to continue.

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Pandey
15/1/2015 08:08:01 pm

What the opposition should be doing taking baini kai to court of the people let them judge. So much evidence of corruption that in Parliament a motion should be filed to see AG step down or booted out.if opposition fail to do this they are use less

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John Sikuri
15/1/2015 09:14:41 pm

The papers (Times & Sun) should publish the article because there is nothing wrong with it in terms of breaching the Media Decree. What the hell is wrong with them.

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Fiji First Party
15/1/2015 11:21:59 pm

Thank You, Professor Biman for eventually exhibiting having a back-bone!

There are many Universal Declarations of Human Rights that this RIGGED and CHOR government of Fiji continues to infringe – including Media freedom and the Rights of the Indigenous People, to protect and promote their language, their culture and their cultural institutions.

This government is a CHOR Party government –which shows no respect to others’ ‘Intellectual Property’ rights – shamelessly and ruthlessly STEALING the good name of another political party.

Can we imagine our Prime Minister Bainimarama and the AG Aiyaz, of our beloved country, Fiji, are IP Thiefs (CHORS). Shame!

But then and understandably - IP Thievery is for the dumb, the unimaginative and the intellectually challenged.

Free Media is an integral part of Democracy. There is no Democracy without FREE Media.

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The End
16/1/2015 12:15:13 am

Liers will eventually run out of gas, and observe in silence. Truth will always Prevail.Vinaka Fiji Leaks Expose the Liers. The people are acknowledging your blog sites in responding to FTA.

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osea malamalanitabua link
16/1/2015 03:45:00 am

In 1963 MLK jnr. said...."I have a Dream...."and after 51 years I echo my personal dream in which to ask the help of the Mighty Spiritual Source of Energy,God,to expose once and for all the lies and in 2015 to uphold the Truth and nothing else but the Truth.Please I ask of you all to help cry for our Beloved Country Fiji from MT.Victoria's Summit we call FREEDOM! FREEDOM!! FREEDOM!!! As for Professor .Biman Prasad a million thanks for standing your ground and you are our Brave Heart.

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Stop barking, start biting NFP
16/1/2015 06:52:07 am

It's about time NFP earned its keep and acted like a true opposition instead of just barking which will get nowhere.What you need to do is lodge an official complaint with MIDA and test the machinery to see whether it is faulty not not.

There is no better way of exposing MIDA for the sham it is than by putting it to the test. If it fails the test, as expected, then everybody will know the machinery is faulty.

We need a tough, smart Opposition to challenge the government but so far we not seeing it, just hearing a lot of noise from NFP camp. Aiyaz Khaiyum and Ashwin running circles around Opposition. This must stop.

NFP can learn from Fiji leaks and Victor Lal.

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And
16/1/2015 03:21:44 pm

And let us be very clear about this. The Bainimarama - Khaiyum regime does not want a robust, independent media. It wants a media like the Fiji Sun and sold out journalist like Nemani Delaibatiki and Pratibha Jyoti and Maika bola take.

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farting in the wind?
16/1/2015 11:03:07 pm

FBC news says government will NOT respond to the Opposition statement on media decree. This is a government strategy to let the concerns die a natural death by ignoring them.

NFP should file a complaint with MIDA. This will keep the issue in the public domain rather than die way. Otherwise NFP statement is as effective as farting in the wind.

Government is disrespecting NFP. It is treating NFP like barking dog which is to be dismissed and ignored. NFP needs to get its act together fast

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Pussyfooting
17/1/2015 02:47:08 am

Unfortunately impression about NFP was that it was ineffective, as the more robust, vocal and fearless FLP leader mahen chaudhry stole the thunder from NFP, before he was disgraced as a fraud.

Unless NFP leader Biman Prasad shows more energy and leadership and is more on the ball with issues and matters, NFP will lose more support.

To win more seats in the next elections, NFP needs to stop meowing like a pussy and start roaring like a lion!

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