AUDIO: Ombudsman bid for Pacific media credibility, says advocate

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AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): A proposed new Pacific Media Ombudsman will bring enhanced accountability and credibility among Pacific news groups, believes a free media advocate.

Jason Brown, coordinator of the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF), says media organisations from the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga agreed to setting up such an ombudsman at the World Press Freedom Day event in Honiara earlier this month.

The creation of the ombudsman role is historic. It is the first time island press have agreed to an independent regional body to monitor and review public complaints regarding content of news stories and other media.

“We hope to achieve the idea that national media are not the last word on any one issue. […] What we hope to achieve is the idea that there is a backstop, that there is another independent organisation that people can go to and raise their concerns,” Jason Brown said in an interview with Pacific Media Watch.

Resistance
Attempts have previously been made to introduce media councils at the national levels in Pacific countries, but conflicts within the industry, as well as political pressure, have stopped the efforts.

There is also opposition to the creation of the Pacific Media Ombudsman. Although it does have support in "five key countries", Brown admits there are people who disapprove of the new body:

“Oh, absolutely! Well, not necessarily members of PFF [Pacific Freedom Forum], but no new idea is accepted 100 percent within the first few weeks, months or even years. What the Pacific Media Ombudsman office will have to do once it’s functioning, is convince people that it’s not trying to interfere, it’s trying to add a layer of accountability and that adds to the credibility of the media,” says Brown.

This will create positive synergies in the society as a whole, Brown hopes:

“[I]f you add credibility to the media then you get more community support, less opposition from government, more buy-in from business people. It’s just a win-win situation.”

Who will become ombudsman?
It is not yet decided who will take on the role of Pacific Media Ombudsman. The Ombudsman needs to be well versed in Pacific media and understand the challenges journalists in the region face.

Jason Brown gives this description on what he’s looking for in the new Ombudsman:

“Someone who has obviously had some experience of working with governments in the region, knows their concerns, but is also familiar with the media and the island context: The lack of resources, the constant struggles and the difficulties of actually getting information out of governments and even businesses for that matter. They’ll have to be deeply familiar with what it’s like in the islands to report under what constraints, under what pressure."

You can read more about the new Ombudsman role at the Pacific Freedom Forum website.

Below is a full transcript of the interview with Jason Brown, and on the top of your screen you will find the audio interview:

JB: Just this month [at] World Press Freedom Day, celebrations in Honiara, Solomon Islands, various delegates from around the Pacific agreed to the concept of setting up a Pacific media ombudsman, aimed at providing an additional layer of accountability when it comes to media standards. The public can make complaints and make enquiries about standards whether they’re being kept or not.

DD: And what do you hope to achieve with this?

JB: We hope to achieve the idea that national media are not the last word on any one issue. If there’s a serious disagreement in a country between, say media and government, that there is an independent body that can be referred to. And most of the time most disagreements, most complaints, can be worked out and will be worked out at the level of the media organisation itself. What we hope to achieve is the idea that there is a backstop, that there is another independent organisation that people can go to and raise their concerns.

DD: How was this received among the countries in the Pacific?

JB: We have support from five key nations: Solomon Island, where the conference was held, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Cook Islands, and a range of media organisations from those countries. There’s also been some people who have stayed away, we invited – they weren’t interested. They said it’s just another organisation that is gonna be set up to no great effect, or it won’t have much impact. So that’s our challenge to try and convince people that ‘no, there is a role; no, we’re not trying to take over anything that happens within country, we’re there as a back-up’.

DD: Does that mean there’s also a bit of resistance to this among some members?

JB: Oh, absolutely! Well, not necessarily members of PFF [Pacific Freedom Forum], but no new idea is accepted 100 percent within the first few weeks, months or even years. What the Pacific Media Ombudsman office will have to do once it’s functioning, is convince people that it’s not trying to interfere, it’s trying to add a layer of accountability and that adds to the credibility of the media. And if you add credibility to the media then you get more community support, less opposition from government, more buy-in from business people. It’s just a win-win situation.

DD: And how will the progress with the ombudsman be in the next year?

JB: By this time next year we hope to have formally opened an office. We’re not sure where that’s going to be yet, because obviously that will depend on, a lot on, who’s going to take the position up. And who will be the support staff and so forth, but a year from now we hope to have an office that will take complaints because nobody, least of all the media, is perfect. So mistakes do happen, and things do need to be addressed.

DD: What kind of person will you be looking for to take up the ombudsman role?

JB: Someone who has obviously had some experience of working with governments in the region, knows their concerns, but is also familiar with the media and the island context: The lack of resources, the constant struggles and the difficulties of actually getting information out of governments and even businesses for that matter. They’ll have to be deeply familiar with what it’s like in the islands to report under what constraints, under what pressure.