Siteri Sauvakacolo
SUVA (The Fiji Times/Pacific Media Watch): Regional Pacific news magazine managing director Netani Rika believes quality journalism is about hearing the voice of the people.
He shared this with journalism students of the University of the South Pacific yesterday prefacing World Press Freedom Day con Sunday.
"One of the keys to quality of journalism is that it looks at communication as a two-way street," said Rika, whose consortium recently bought Suva-based Islands Business regional news magazine.
"I have an opinion and you have your opinion. I should be able to tell you mine and at the same time I should be able to listen to yours.
"Quality journalism speaks the truth and the truth is not always an easy thing to tell. More importantly, quality journalism speaks truth to power. Power doesn't mean government only but anybody in authority in order to improve services."
For quality to be maintained, the former The Fiji Times editor-in-chief emphasised the need to have the right people in the media industry and in institutions such as USP in order for journalists to speak the truth.
He said media companies needed to invest their time and resources in journalists so proper research could be carried out and the truth be provided to the people.
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Pacific Media Watch
