The Fijian Media Association is ready to work with the Fiji Police Force to disseminate accurate and timely information to the public.
Association general secretary Stanley Simpson said they’ve had difficult challenges with the police as a result of the closed and conservative nature of the force.
However, as a change in policy is expected soon at the organisation, Mr Simpson said it would be a new era of engagement and opportunity for both parties.
“We felt it was important to move on and move past some of the difficult relationships and experiences over the last 16 years,” he said.
“We wanted a police force that was open, transparent and accountable. They have a lot of experienced and qualified professionals and we felt their voices needed to be heard.
“They were experts in their field: the DPC (divisional police commander) North knows more about the North, the DPC West knows a lot about the West and they can better explain those situations in their spheres of operations to us as opposed to the centralised style that operated previously.”
Mr Simpson said while the association enjoyed a good relationship with the Central Division media cell, more diverse voices from the police were needed to reflect the nature of the force and the range of work it did.
“The media is a partner in that regard so we’re looking to build relations and work on other areas that we can work better in.
“The nature of our work is such that there’s always going to be challenges and strains at some time, tension and disagreements, because the police have boundaries and are constrained by legal parameters that they can work through.”
Last week, senior officers visited newsrooms around Suva, which Mr Simpson said was vital in ensuring the police were aware of the painstaking work carried out by organisations on a daily basis.
