My thanks to Lesley for this well documented exposure of the NZ media on this one issue. Unfortunately, experience shows that their handling of other Fji issues is rarely any better. Four years ago I thought our media were fair and reasonably balanced. I now know better, and find myself questioning the reliability of most of their stories. Check out what the media reported
Lesley Opie mentioned you in a comment in Fiji Economic Forum.(Facebook)
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Sorry this is such a long comment - but.....the very sad death of Tony Groom in Nadi last year is an example of how media has lost credibility.There was no thought as to how Tony Groom's family would feel about what was being said about him (or indeed the other families connected to the sad deaths in Fiji). The main objective by journalists was to put a black mark upon Fiji so that tourists would not want to visit Fiji. Michael Field wrote the first story about Tony Groom and then at a later date put a spin in about all these "suspicious" tourist deaths in Fiji, that according to him, had been supressed in Fiji media, and in the end proved not to be suspicious after all. TVNZ One News and the NZ Herald and 3 News picked up on the Fairfax Stuff stories by Michael Field - and then had to retract and correct stories (except Michael Field didn't really retract or correct). Then this speculative story went to Australian media and then all the way around the world and was of course on Coup 4.5. I remember Crosbie Walsh did do a blog post about this. The truth is what I want to read, not a "spin" or speculative journalism. Reference was made to Coup 4.5 by NZ media - check out the links below that show the first story - then retractions and correction by SOME NZ media. Most of the links refer to C4.5 blog. Maybe some in the NZ media post blog entries on C4.5 - or am I being speculative? Truth is what matters. Unfortunately the majority of the NZ public (and NZ Law Society president Jonathan Temm) believe what the media reports as the whole truth and nothing but the truth. These days you have question what media reports in EVERYTHING - not just what is written about Fiji. Fairfax Stuff (Michael Field): http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/5340160/Fiji-media-censored-over-Kiwis-murder http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/5352223/Fiji-claim-natural-causes-in-Kiwis-death http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/5613801/Another-mysterious-foreigner-death-in-Fiji http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/5480462/Strange-death-in-the-Blue-Lagoon http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/5519202/Drink-link-to-death-of-woman-say-Fiji-police TVNZ One News (Barbara Dreaver): http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/fiji-military-accused-censoring-deaths-4326841 http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kiwi-s-death-not-result-beating-fiji-police-4329926 http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/series-mysterious-fiji-deaths-investigated-4399375 NZ Herald:(Anna Leask) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10741050 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10741365 3 News (NZ): http://www.3news.co.nz/Fourth-dead-foreigner-found-in-Fiji/tabid/417/articleID/225605/Default.aspx Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-incidents/fiji-deaths-censored-to-avoid-scaring-tourists-20110727-1hzfp.html Telegraph UK: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/fiji/8759123/Mystery-over-spate-of-tourist-deaths-on-military-controlled-Fiji.html Coup4.5: http://www.coupfourandahalf.com/2011/09/fiji-regime-hides-another-tourist-death.html |
3 comments:
We still are in the dark about the most recent 'tourist deaths'. Not all were of tourists. But in 2005 the death of a British tourist on the beach at Wailoaloa remains under-investigated and still no one has been brought to book for murder. Despite the personal attention of the then British High Commissioner himself, Charles Mochan, and Crimestoppers West Committee meeting with local hoteliers and others, no one has been brought to account. This impunity must end.
Does it not vindicate the island nations that have banned Michael Field from entry? When you have journalists like Michael Field, media freedom cannot be defended but controls initiated to ensure that the public is protected from exposure to news 'criminalized' by people like Michael Field. Freedom of media needs to be weighed against abuse of the freedom, which is becoming not only discreet but blatant. Every country should have a system of licensing journalists and those caught abusing media freedom by distorting truth, such journalists should lose their licence to practise their profession. It has been proven that media was behind destruction of democracy in many countries. Fiji is no exception - Fiji Times did incalculabe harm to race relations in Fiji and its role in the removal of Chaudhary Government is indefensible.
@ Anonymous said.....
This may well be so but it was a short report in the Fiji Times recently (post PER) which brought to light the name of a man (now imprisoned for another crime 'receiving' a stolen laptop computer) which alerted us to the name and his alleged connection to this Murder-On-the-Beach. There were witnesses, we have always known this. Now, we want a man in court and Michael Cheung's family to have justice for his wanton death. That is our remit and we are all 'pro bono publico'. We have nothing personally to gain from this arrest.
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