Charlina Tone
APIA: Fiji Times associate editor Sophie Foster praised the status of media freedom in Samoa as a four-day regional Media for Democracy and Human Rights workshop ended here yesterday.
The workshop, organised by the International Federation of Journalists, brought together journalists from around the region to discuss the status of media freedom.
It also assessed issues regarding freedom of expression in the region.
Foster said she was from a country where rigid censorship laws existed.
“I feel fortunate to be able to come to Samoa and see a vibrant press and broadcasting industry,” she said.
“In Fiji, we have many challenges, not the least of which is censorship.”
Foster said this had become a huge obstacle to fair and accurate reporting.
But she believes journalists have a duty to report regardless of these pressures.
“Fiji’s vibrant media industry is being placed under significant pressure at present,” she said.
“And we have a big challenge as journalists to remain true to our calling.
“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, someone once said.”
It is this fight for media freedom that brought Foster and others like her to Samoa.
They are here to advocate press freedom and establish region-wide systems to safeguard this freedom.
“In Samoa, as in Fiji, it falls on journalists to ensure that we continue to do our jobs in a manner that helps ensure we do right in our communities,” she said.
“None of us can afford to take anything for granted.”
The roundtable meeting also developed a strategy to prepare an inaugural press freedom in the Pacific report to be published in 2011. - Sunday Samoan/Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Watch
