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Regime's media stormtroopers exact revenge on ABC journalist Dorney by preventing CBA - PACMAS from holding digital media training in Fiji

20/3/2014

9 Comments

 
PictureFrom left: Akauola, Dorney, Raj and Komai
FIJILEAKS sources claim that Fiji's Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA) chairman Ashwin Raj and CEO, Matai Akauola, took great exception to ABC journalist Sean Dorney's reporting at the Pacific Media Summit in Noumea that the media in Fiji was less than totally free.

But sources close to MIDA claim that it was Makereta Komai, the editor of PACNEWS, regional news agency covering the Pacific region, who triggered the attack on Dorney, after reportedly informing Akauola that Dorney had expressed negative comments against PINA. Akauola, along with Raj, went ballistic, with our sister pro-democracy blog C4/5 reporting that Raj called Dorney “two faced” and a “scavenger” while Akauola pointed his finger and said “you are not ever coming back to Fiji”.

Dorney is barred from Fiji.

The two have taken this to the ridiculous extreme where MIDA is now refusing to have anything to do with the ABC unless Dorney and the ABC Managing Director apologise.

The ABC is standing by Dorney's reporting and so Akauola and Raj have cut off all relations with the ABC and the AusAID funded PACMAS program which is aimed at helping the media throughout the Pacific. Fijileaks has not been able to obtain comments from MIDA, Komai and Dorney.

PictureSally Ann-Wilson
STATEMENT ON POSTPONEMENT OF DIGITAL MEDIA TRAINING IN FIJI

Secretary-General, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, Sally-Ann Wilson writes:

"We are very sorry to announce that the second Phase of the CBA PACMAS Digital Media Training Project, scheduled for Fiji in April, has been postponed.

At present, PACMAS are not currently able to operate projects in Fiji for the following reasons:

The Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA) of Fiji recently wrote to the Managing Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation lodging a complaint about the conduct of one of its staff members  during a recent conference in Noumea. As a consequence of the allegations made by MIDA and the authority they carry in Fiji, its Chairman Ashwin Raj and CEO, Matai Akauola  have suspended all collaboration with the ABC and PACMAS at this time.

PACMAS staff have been endeavouring to have MIDA separate it’s grievance with the ABC staff member from that of PACMAS but have not been successful so far. Consequently, we are at a point where we have no choice but to postpone the CBA PACMAS workshop until such time we may be granted permission by MIDA.

This is an unfortunate situation and one that is clearly beyond the control of all the stakeholders involved.

It is disappointing that we are not able to proceed with what was promising to be a great workshop and that we are now unable to deliver the program to delegates in Fiji.

PACMAS has proposed that we try to bring forward the next phase of the workshop which is likely to take place elsewhere in the Pacific; we hope this will soon be confirmed for later in the year.

Once again, we understand that this must be both disappointing and inconvenient to all applicants and interested parties. "

- See more at: http://www.pacmas.org/profile/cba-pacmas-digital-media-training-project-postponed/#sthash.1l2TUTlB.dpuf

Picture
 WHAT WAS ON OFFER: DIGITAL MEDIA COURSE

The intensive documentary filmmaking and digital media course will take place in Fiji from the 3 to 12 April 2014. Training will follow a unique template and will have additional emphasis on new and social media and is designed to build and enhance the capacity and capability of a new generation of digital content producers in the Pacific.

During the course the trainees will be given training in narrative documentary filmmaking, and introduction to the lastest global innovations by digital content makers, hands on technical workshops with the latest equipment, skills training to include linking of broadcast content to social/new media outreach for citizen interaction and engagement.

The course is being offered, free of charge, to selected participants from Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea who are currently residing in Fiji.

This project is a partnership between the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme, funded by the the Australian Government’s aid program and managed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association.

Picture
MAKING NEWS: Cartoonists having a field day with the story
9 Comments
Fiji Journalist
20/3/2014 07:43:39 am

WHO do Matai and Aswin think they are - yes, stormtroopers who are getting undeserved wealth and publicity by latching onto a dictatorship.

I am so frustrated with politicians who, instead of mobilizing the populace to contest election, should have brought the people onto the streets and overthrown this regime and the army.

I hope these two characters will be lynched one day in the streets of Fiji and photographed for next day's papers!

Reply
Laisenia FloweringArse
20/3/2014 03:52:45 pm

Welcome to FijiLeaks and C4/5. Serving democracy with a side of murder and a chilled glass of revenge.

Reply
Censor
20/3/2014 08:53:05 am

I hope if Bainimarama loses election, these two stormtroopers will resign from their jobs as fast as they took them up during dictatorship.

I don't believe in retribution but for Fiji never again to suffer another coup, such persons must be made examples of what to expect in democracy.

Fiji Sun should be shut down!

Reply
Hero Mentality
20/3/2014 03:45:40 pm

I do not know this Dr Ashwin Raj chap. Where did he spring from? I am not a supporter of the coup, but I must say Sean Dorney's reporting leaves a lot to be desired. It is the same old simple, cliched, narrative of democracy here and now. At times Radio Australia's reporting has been quite provocative. It is reflective of their journalists' arrogance, especially when dealing with developing Pacific Island countries. A superior, condescending, know-it-all attitude shines through. But in fact the reporting is rather naive, repetitive, and unhelpful, using the same old sources making the same old comments. These journalists like to boast how long they have been covering the pacific, but in reality they understand very little about the region. They cannot fathom things beyond their structured formula for reporting news, and their one dimensional and single template for understanding of democracy and freedom of speech. I wouldn't call sean Dorney a scavenger - just a simple journalist with a hero mentality who can't think outside the box he has been in for decades.

Reply
Heroine
20/3/2014 03:54:19 pm

Hero Mentality
Whatever it is - these two chaps have no right to take it upon themselves and prevent the digital training program from taking place - it just shows their gestapo mentality

I dont know Sean Dorney from Adam!

Reply
USP VC Rajesh Chandra and Dr Ashwin Raj regime's chief propagandists
20/3/2014 04:46:15 pm

Dr Ashwin Raj is from USP.
The VC of USP Rajesh Chandra is a coup supporter.
The connection is very clear.
At USP coup supporters like Dr Ashwin are rewarded.
Coup opponents like Wadan and Marc Edge are deported!
VC Rajesh Chandra has turned USP into the regimes base for keeping the lid on academic and media freedom.
USP is the regime's headquarters of propaganda.
VC Rajesh Chandra and Dr Ashwin Raj are the regimes chief propagandists.

Reply
The two little boys
20/3/2014 10:17:59 pm

Yet again, Dr Ashwin Raj and Matai Akoula have shown their lack of maturity. These two still have a lot of growing up to do. How come they are heading MIDA? Unfortunately Fiji's journalists will pay the price for their childishness.

Reply
Drama Queens
21/3/2014 04:44:50 am

Perhaps the flustered duo were badly bullied during their childhood? A case of the persecuted becoming the persecutor... an inability to adequately and appropriately process their 'issues' thus far.

So here we are being forced to watch them at their vicious, bullying best - all at the expense of the 4th Estate.

Reply
Traitor to journalism
21/3/2014 04:34:24 pm

The smallness Dr Ashiwin Raj and Mr Matai Akoula's is reflected in this action if theirs. It was a pea-brained decision. They can't think long term. They not thinking about welfare of journalists, or future of journalism. Matai, especially, is a traitor to journalism. As for spring chicken Ashwin, less said about him, the better.

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