First, we have managing director and publisher Anne Farrell say, "We are very supportive of responsible journalism which we believe includes presenting all sides of any issue so that the people of Fiji can consider issues affecting them armed with as much information as possible."
And then, some days later in almost identical words, Editor-in-Chief Netani Rika says, "We remain very supportive of responsible journalism which we believe includes presenting all sides of any issue so that the people of Fiji can consider issues affecting them armed with as much information as possible."
It's not often one sees journalists so stuck for words that they plagiarise their managing director. But once again, the Fiji Times is up to its old tricks trying, as I wrote about Anne's statement, "to score another 'political point' (for that is what your statement is) under the guise of innocent reasonableness."
Netani says the "Times has been nothing but pro-Fiji in its approach to editorial content" citing the paper's support on cancer awareness, HIV/Aids, violence against women, climate change, and helping reform ex-prisoners. Come on, Netani. You could hardly be expected to take an anti-Fiji approach on these issues.
It's where your paper has stood on political issues, and particularly its stance on the interim government and how to take Fiji forward, that tells where you really stand. When I see you report some of the good things done by the Government, with an appeal or two to foreign governments to moderate their stance on Fiji, I'll be more likely to respond enthusiastically to your "pro-Fiji" stance.
Photo (Uni Q'land?) : Netani (left) and Dr Mark Hayes (rabidly anti-Bainimarama, advocate of "non-violent direct action" and member of the Pacific Freedom Forum), during Netani's Australian speaking tour when he used every opportunity to denounce the Fiji Government.
Read what readers say. Click "Comments" below.
16 comments:
Croz Oldfart. It appears you like a repressive govt. You love dictators - especially the "no school" and "kana buta" kind. Real people got hurt and the hurt does not go away. Fijians are like that. We just keep quite and wait for the first stone. Remember 2000? I guess your pinky hair legs were shaking vigorously in your cave up in SSED!
Dear Dr Walsh,
I take profound offense at your comment regarding myself on your Posting for 17/12/09: "Netani (left) and Dr Mark Hayes (rabidly anti-Bainimarama, advocate of "non-violent direct action" and member of the Pacific Freedom Forum), during Netani's Australian speaking tour when he used every opportunity to denounce the Fiji Government", next to a non-attributed (i.e. stolen) picture of Mr Rika and myself at UQ Journalism on August 26, 2009.
If you bothered to actually listen to my carefully reasoned and presented paper at PIPSA in Auckland you would hardly describe me as "rabid". If you bothered to do what any half-decent journalist would do, and actually do some research on Mr Rika's visit to Brisbane at the end of August, 2009, you would find he was not on a "speaking tour" but a very short business trip. I am NOT "rabidly" anti-Fiji regime. I am very strongly pro-democracy and Rule of Law, neither of which obtains currently in Fiji. Please correct your Post for 17/12/09 accordingly.
Dear Dr Mark hayes - as lot fo people in Fiji have heard what you have had to say and unfortunately you are 'rabidly' anit Banimarama.
If you suppoetrted sule of Law as you claim why have you not raised issues on blatant racism in appointments in the Fijian Civil Service. the huge scale of corruption with Fijian Holdings which has seen a substantial percentage of Govt assistance aimed at ordinary Fijian's being taken over by the Fijian elite.
How dare you demand Croz correct his post!! Why don't you try and see the full picture of what has been happening in Fiji!! We take profound offense at many of your comments which are anti Fiji but you dont listen do you. But you don't like it when the shoe is on the other foot.
Fiji Times has done more damage to Fiji than any other individual or institution. It is laughable when they compain when things don't go their way.
Snoopy. You can get the "full picture" from those who were bashed up by soldiers, those who were made to run up in the camp, and the beaten/dead victims. The full picture also from the money squandered by this govt. and the alcohol served to military officers by self-serving businessmen (of the Gujerati variety). I gues you can't open your eyes because you are so deep kissing the dictator's ****
Samu - you raise valid points and criminal acts by members of the military can not be condoned in any form. Fiji's situation is a complex one and Banimarama is no super hero. This may be a case of the lesser of several evils.
Merry Xmas to you!!
I suspect that some of the "comments" Posted to this Thread have been made by beneficiaries of the current Fiji regime, though I would dearly like to see solid evidence of Fiji Times' journalistic malfeasance of a standard which would satisfy my, and Dr Walsh's, rigorous scholarly standards (and not cherry picked or selective citations from A/Prof Robie's research, such as we heard at PINA 2009 from one of the regime's censors). That said...
Can somebody explain this incident, which occurred at Nadi Airport on Saturday, December 12, and how doing this kind of thing positively advances the cause of returning Fiji to democratic, constitutional governance and the Rule of Law?
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/12/16/170171_gold-coast-news.html
Dr Mark Haynes - i can tell you that i have no link with the Interim Govt. My only interest is in the well being of the people of Fiji.
The incident you refer to deos not help the peopple of Fiji and the Govt is making many mistakes esp when dealing with the media.
However the article only gives 1 side of the story. The News Ltd employee should not be using a Fiji Times vehcile and phone if he is purely a holiday visit.
Curious how I'm the only participant to this Thread who has a courage, and integrity, to Post using my own name.
Snoopy Posted: "However the article only gives 1 side of the story. The News Ltd employee should not be using a Fiji Times vehcile and phone if he is purely a holiday visit."
No doubt the Gold Coast Bulletin attempted to get a comment from the Fijian authorities responsible for Mr McCully's wholly arbitrary and vindictive treatment, typically without success.
If Snoopy bothered to actually read the article, he would have seen that Mr McCully, in September 2007, while awaiting resolution of his work permit issue, and only a fortnight after his original permit expired, was accorded the courtesy of a company car and mobile phone. This is entirely normal practice and certainly not a reason for a regime spy to cowardly tattle that he was working when, in fact, he wasn't.
As a private citizen, going about his entirely lawful activities, such as getting married, Mr McCully ought to be entitled to travel to Fiji and enjoy the country's hospitality as well as contribute to its tourism income. But not according to the current regime.
Dr Mark Hayes - there is nothing courageous about using your own name. You are an academic with time and resource to post on the blog under your name. I am doing this on company time in Australia and do not want to be identified like all of us do at one time or the other. Things are slow just before Xmas.
How do you know he was not working? Noone is saying wha tthe military is doing in this instance is correct but you dont know the full facts so dont talk as if you do.
Fiji has come a long way down in the last 22 years and having an election now without fundamental changes will not help anyone.
I am just curious on how many years you have spent in Fiji. The situation there is complex.
Mark Hayes, what an extraordinarily pompous person you are. Croz Walsh is a "doctor" too but doesn't use it in his postings. So you've got a PhD. Who cares? It doesn't make you any more qualified to make a pronouncement about events in Fiji than the lowliest of the rest of us. Croz, please do us all a big favour and correct nothing. The record shows that this guy is exactly what you say he is - rabidly anti Bainimarama and a supporter of the hardline Aussies and Kiwi position against Fiji.
Dr Hayes, ( as you insist ), lots of people who contribute to these Fiji blogs and who are pro-regime remain anonymous because of the vicious backlash that sometimes arises from the pro-democracy lobby when anyone has the temerity to contest their position The other day someone pointed me to some stories earlier in the year by the Fiji-born journalist Graham Davis. If you do a Google search on him nowadays, you find this: "More from the fat grub Graham Davis", an attack on him by the real grubs at Solivakasama. When I got to the stories themselves, I couldn't believe it was so personal over stuff that was pretty tame and really just explained the history of what had been happening in Fiji. Do you think any of us with jobs, kids and families are going to expose ourselves to this kind of thing? No way.
Dr Hayes, it's alright for you sitting in Australia with all your gang nodding in agreement at everything you say. But we're the silent majority and we think "democracy" in Fiji sucked because it was used by the powerful against the weak. So by defending it as you do, I think you are siding with the SDL elite and everyone else who was taking the country backwards.
I'd say Croz Walsh isn't the old fart here, as Samu unkindly puts it. He is on the right side of history, in my humble opinion, and you, Dr Hayes, are not.
Croz, I'd love to have Dr Hayes take "profound offense" at something I said. This guy poses as an academic but can't spell. Or is he American? For your information, Dr Hayes, it's offence. Take it anyway but the rest of us don't give a flying Fijian.
@ Dr Hayes
Why is it that people like you quickly assume that someone work for the interim government when they write pro-government comments?
Dr Hayes, for all I care, I support what Frank and his government are doing because it is the RIGHT thing. Get it, it is the RIGHT thing to do for the sake of this beloved country.
I don't work for the government of Fiji or for the military. I have never been a beneficiary of any government handout or what not.
I was born in Fiji and have lived here all my life. I am an indigenous Fijian and have seen and experience the politics in Fiji for more than 40 years. What Frank is doing is RIGHT 200%.
Fiji lost out 20 years of development as a modern nation through the coup of 1987. What Frank is basically doing is correcting the wrong of the past 20 years through his, YES, takeover of a racist government under Laisenia Qarase elected under a supposedly democratic government.
I don't give a #$%king hoot about your definition of democracy or the western ideology of democratic government. Fiji had never been right after coup 1987. It took a courageous military force to correct Rabuka's wrongdoing.
I guarantee you, there are more people in Fiji that support Bainimarama than what you, Netani Rika, Australia and the New Zealand government propagandist are bluffing the world with.
Mark KAyes (DR) - hate to make things personal but since that is how you have started - no most of the people on this blog have nothing to do with the Interim Govt in Fiji. Most of us will definitely not benefit but we want to see Fiji do better than it has done in the last 20 years.
Now on the personal front - is the Fiji situation your chance to get in the media?? I see from your CV that you have very little hands on experience on Fiji. Do you think having a DR in front of your name makes you feel bigger or makes your comments any more worthy. Many academic are good in theory but - are you one of them? If you want to commentate on Fiji why dont you go there and speak to a variety of people, investigate the history. Human nature is such that we all want to feel important and that seems to be why you choose to commentate on Fiji.
As pointed out above a lot of the pro Qarase crowd are threatening, aggresive potentially violent which is why many of us choose to remain anonymous eg read some of the postings from Samu at times on this blog, read the other hate filled blogs
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