FIJI: Remain 'impartial', journalists told

* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
http://www.pmw.c2o.org * Post a comment on PMW's Right of Reply:
http://www.TheGuestBook.com/egbook/257949.gbook

REMAIN IMPARTIAL, JOURNOS TOLD

SUVA (Pacific Media Watch): Fiji Media Council chairman Daryl Tarte says journalists must be careful not to align themselves to political parties and large organisations to safeguard their partiality and objectivity, reports the Fiji Sun.

And they must at all times ensure their judgement is not clouded when reporting on issues they have an interest in.

Tarte said a reporter could take up an honorary position in an organisation as long as he or she was not biased towards it.

His comment follows reports that Radio Fiji's newly appointed news director, Mesake Koroi, has been appointed president of the Fiji West Papuan Foundation.

Koroi yesterday said his group would try to lobby for support for the West Papuan freedom rights at the upcoming July meeting of the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) in Nadi.

"I do not see anything wrong with his appointment as president of that organisation because it won't have much to do with his work as editor of the news department but it certainly will affect his judgement when the West Papuan issues come to the fore," Tarte said.

He warned, however, that he was more concerned with Koroi's impartiality on matters concerning his political affiliation.

Islands Business International editor-in-chief Laisa Taga said Koroi's involvement in the West Papuan movement was "colouring" his credibility as a journalist.

"Journalists must always be seen to be impartial and he cannot afford to be a reporter and an activist at the same time," Taga said.

"If and when he does both, where will he draw the line and what guarantee is there that he will not be impartial when issues on West Papua need objectivity?"

Koroi told reporters that his relationship and political affiliations would not affect his judgement and work as a journalist.

Koroi and Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase are first cousins while his son-in-law, academic Dr Robert Wolfgramm, is actively involved with the West Papuan freedom movement in Australia.

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE: http://www.pmw.c2o.org

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media, the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, and Pactok Communications, in Sydney and Port Moresby.

(c)1996-2002 Copyright - All rights reserved.

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original producers as indicated. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views of PMW or its members.

Recipients should rely on their own inquiries before making decisions based on material listed in PMW. Please copy appeals to PMW and acknowledge source.

For further information, inquiries about joining the Pacific Media Watch

listserve, articles for publication, and giving feedback contact Pacific

Media Watch at: E-mail: delaro@clear.net.nz Fax: (+679) 30 5779 or (+612) 9660 1804 Mail: PO Box 9, Annandale, NSW 2038, Australia or, c/o Journalism, PO Box 1168, Suva, Fiji New website: www.pmw.c2o.org

© Scoop Media