ON this Press Freedom Day, there is good news for Fiji – the country has improved four places on the Reporters Without Borders 2025 Index.
Fiji was placed 44 out of 180 countries in 2025 and is placed on the 40th rank in 2025.
“Until its repeal on 6 April 2023, the news media were regulated by the draconian 2010 Media Industry Development Decree,” said RSF.
“Journalists could be jailed for up to two years for violating the law’s vaguely worded provisions.”
“The sedition laws, which were repeatedly used against the Fiji Times, also fuelled a climate of fear and self-censorship, with the threat of sentences of up to seven years in prison.”
RSF said journalists’ interests are represented by the Fiji Media Association (FMA), which was often critical of the harassment of the media by the previous Fiji First government.
“Since the repeal of the Media Act in 2023, the FMA has worked hard to restore independent journalism and public trust in the media.”
