Today is a special day for journalists around the world.
We say that every year, and we mean it!
Today is World Press Freedom Day.
It is perhaps more significant than ever for journalists in Fiji now that we have the draconian piece of legislation, the MIDA Act repealed.
We have always said that the day offers us an opportunity, for what it’s worth, to appreciate the work of journalists and to acknowledge people in the news and those who read, listen to, view, and surf the internet in search of information.
Since 2010, we have had laws that were not used to prosecute us.
However, what it did was it hung like the Sword of Damocles, a constant threat on the very existence of media freedom, and subsequently freedom of expression.
Think about it!
Part 4 on Content Regulation warned us that we could not print or publish anything that was against the national interest, or against public interest or had the potential to create communal discord.
How could we adhere to this when everything we printed or published was of national interest and of public interest.
So who determined what was against public interest, or what was against national interest?
Who decided there was a breach?
And there weren’t any sub-sections or anything to clarify what a breach was.
Now translate that to the every day context of journalism, and you have a scenario that was actually bad for business and the industry.
The constant threat hung heavily on the shoulders and minds of editors.
It did not help at all that the fines upon conviction were shocking!
A company upon conviction, could be liable to a fine not exceeding $100,000 for a breach of Sections 22 and 23, and it does not end there, because an editor upon conviction, was also liable to a fine not exceeding $25,000 and to a jail term not exceeding two years.
So given the complexities of the role we play, there are tough days at the office every day.
So when the Act was repealed, the moment was savoured to the brim.
The difficult task of de-sensitising people begins now, to stand up against suppression.
Years of not being able to challenge authority hopefully are at an end.
There must be engagement, and there must be a collective voice that holds those in power accountable.
That’s where a free and vibrant media will come in.
As we go through the processes of organising staff in our newsrooms, there is an air of great expectation of what the future holds for the industry and for the nation.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, on its website, states the day should act as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom.
In Fiji, some journalists have been ridiculed, snubbed, and publicly humiliated, sometimes by State officials.
It is important that those in authority are held to account, that there is truth to power.
Journalists have also been acknowledged and appreciated.
For every journalist on the frontline, there are just as many in the background providing vital support.
On this special day, we also challenge those in positions of authority to place value on freedom of expression, and the right to information.
We challenge men and women who are tasked to uphold the laws of our country, to do that with integrity and dedication.
Today, we appreciate that there is great power in information.
We are reminded that there must also be a great sense of responsibility.
