What a night! What a moment in time! When all is said and done, Saturday evening at the Novotel Lami Convention & Entertainment Centre will be remembered as the gathering point for journalists, sponsors, and supporters of Fiji’s media.
It was a celebration of resilience, unity, and purpose.
Alongside the presentation of awards across various categories, the Fiji Media Council and the Fijian Media Association revived the Fiji Media Hall of Fame, 17 years after it last took place, with a powerful ceremony at the FAME Awards 2025. It was about restoring a cornerstone of our industry’s identity.
This year’s Hall of Fame honoured five figures whose work shaped Fiji’s modern media landscape across print, radio, and television. Their stories, brought to life through carefully crafted citations read by today’s media leaders, moved the audience to its feet. Rarely has a room of journalists been this emotionally united.
The moment carried even more weight as 10 of Fiji’s most senior editors, media CEOs, and Fiji Media Council members formed an Honour Guard on stage. Their collective presence represented decades of editorial leadership and symbolised a shared commitment to elevating industry standards, strengthening trust, and defending the public’s right to know.
The Fiji Times paid tribute to the late Vijendra Kumar, the first local editor of the newspaper and a formidable figure who guided the newsroom through some of Fiji’s most turbulent years. He was at The Fiji Times for 21 years, from 1969 to 1991. His leadership during coups, closures, and political pressure earned him deep respect as a defender of press freedom. Fittingly, Kumar was announced as the first inductee of the Fiji Media Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
For the organisations involved, the awards represented a recommitment to journalism itself, the courage to ask uncomfortable questions, probe difficult issues, and persist in the pursuit of truth.
After years of suppression under the former FijiFirst government, it is heartening to witness renewed openness in how news is gathered and shared. The questions now being asked, particularly on digital platforms, signal a public eager to engage. Robust public discussion is essential to democracy. And the media carries a responsibility to nurture that space.
Saturday night reminded us of that responsibility. It reminded us of our connection to public opinion and the role we play in empowering citizens with information that shapes daily decision-making. It was also a celebration of commitment, dedication, and perseverance, qualities long woven into the fabric of journalism.
And then, as always, the work continued.
Our newly crowned Journalist of the Year, Anish Chand, was already back in Rakiraki yesterday afternoon, on assignment. Senior journalist Serafina Silaitoga returned to the newsroom to run news and current affairs as duty chief of staff, with veteran Eliki Nukutabu and a young team beside her. Sub-editors kept the pages turning quietly behind the scenes. Across the country, journalists got on with the job of keeping the online portals engaged and updated.
The responsibility that accompanies this work is immense. We know there will be highs and lows, just as we know the value of events like the FAME Awards to remind us why we do what we do. Ultimately, what matters most is holding power to account and demanding transparency at all levels.
In an age overwhelmed by misinformation and disinformation, trust becomes our most precious currency. Upholding it requires deep personal commitment to the ethics and principles of good journalism.
William Lamb, a British MP, said something in 1817 that still resonates today: “The possession of great power necessarily implies great responsibility.”
In effect, the media wields immense influence, hence the responsibility to use it wisely, boldly, and truthfully.
We acknowledge all those nominated, all those recognised, and those who continue, often quietly, to uphold the values that anchor our profession.
We celebrate a defining moment, reflect on the challenges before us, and look forward with renewed energy, optimism, and purpose.
