tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968376531349462883.post6852760462777974222..comments2023-11-01T00:22:03.579+12:00Comments on LOYAL FIJIAN -FIJI INDEPENDENT NEWS: With Freedom comes ResponsibilityLoyalFijianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01432510251319721577noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968376531349462883.post-15195899774127499532009-04-21T10:36:00.000+12:002009-04-21T10:36:00.000+12:00Another very interesting blog. Your view that the ...Another very interesting blog. Your view that the anti-govt. blogs are being run by journalists has a lot of validity. One should also remember that there is another blog of a similar nature being run by a certain lawyer living in <B>Townsville, QLD</B> and he chooses to clamor about the life of people in Fiji safely from his home in the outback.<br /><br />Journalists in Fiji have long assumed that their careers give them the right to play judge, jury and executioner. They lambast anyone who is helping the current govt. and they embarrass people trying to take the country forward by digging up their personal details. While those who choose to enter the fray of politics can expect the loss of their privacy to a certain degree, it is rather disgusting on the part of journalists to go around digging up dirt about people and ignore any good work done. One can assume that the saying “a speck of dirt blinds a person from seeing the rest of the world” holds true because it applies to the standards of journalism in Fiji.<br /><br />Journalists in Fiji are always clamoring for their rights. What about the rights of the individuals they harass on a daily basis for their stories, all in the hope of winning the elusive journalist of the year award? Is this the key reason a journalist will dig up anything and everything about anyone who crosses them? Should such an abuse of power be allowed to go unchecked? The manner and methodologies employed by Fiji journalists is atrocious at its best. Journalists refuse to report facts and use interview transcripts in an extremely malicious manner. Facts are twisted to look sordid and people who are considered the bane of our society are often given the prominence of angels. Where has the balanced and fair reporting gone to? Since when does a journalist have the right to report what their view is instead of the facts as presented to them by their sources? Why do Fiji journalists insist media freedom is being hampered when the laws regarding media freedom in countries such as the USA are much more stringent and impose harsher penalties on journalists for the minutest of errors? The answer is obvious – journalists in Fiji know little or nothing about journalism. Their tact for reporting and asking the right questions are puerile at best. One of the best examples of this is a certain talk-back show held on FijiTV every Sunday. The questions asked and the obvious lack of moderation shown by the presenter is a testimony to the baseless journalism standards in Fiji. This particular presenter is a well known NFP supporter and it is also a known fact (particularly amongst the intelligence circle) that the questions posed by the presenter every Sunday are not thought up by him, but the NFP. <br /><br />Based on the recent level of moderation imposed on the journalists this month, a number of people have commented that the people in Fiji are seeing some of the best works yet by the media outlets in Fiji. One can only wonder why this method was not employed eons ago as it would have brought about greater harmony amongst the people living here. Instead, the media outlets have continued to play the game of divide and rule by pitting Fijians against Indians through their articles, editorial comments and letters. This is a classic example of the dog obeying its master – in this case, the masters being the expatriate managers from countries such as Australia where everyone knows the history of the Aborigines and the white settlers.<br /><br />Nonetheless, one should not assume that all journalists are bad. The certain skirt journalist being referred to on the anti-govt. sites is an appropriate example of fair reporting. This journalist attempted to produce material which was balanced and took the views of all parties into consideration – the conclusion? Her name is now being dragged through the mud and she is accused to playing the role of a mistress to a very senior officer of the defense forces. It is the classic example of the friction between the journalists in Fiji who choose to play the political game and those who truly believe in the sanctity of reporting the facts.<br /><br />If journalism in Fiji is to regain its reputation, then the obvious answer is the Media Council needs to be changed. The people running the Media Council and the rules laid down in it are far too biased. As, Dr. James Anthony stated in his report regarding the media in Fiji, the Media Council is an all exclusive and elitist white man club made up of those who simply want to further their personal agendas. The current laws governing the Media Council protects the journalists to such a degree that anyone complaining against any media outlet is not only denied an audience (which is neutral) but also ridiculed by all the media outlets who are members of the Media Council, publicly in the dailies. Journalists need to become more realistic and realize that their jobs do not give them the right to assume they are untouchable. If anything, the Sword of Damocles, hangs on their heads more than on any other profession and as such, they need to ensure they uphold the virtues of journalism – fair and honest reporting without a shred of bias.Noob Saibothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05247162077138854123noreply@blogger.com