Journalism in Crisis

A former newspaper editor believes journalism trade in Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island countries is in Crisis.

Team leader of the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme [PACMAS] ABC International Development [ABCID] Alexander Rheeney spoke of this issue at the 2024 Pacific International Media Conference in Fiji last week.

Reflecting on his role as a news editor for the Post Courier newspaper in PNG and Samoa Observer, Mr Rheeney says there are a lot of challenges facing journalists in the country more so the greatest concern being the quality of reporting and gender-based violence

He says this mainly affects female journalists in the various newsrooms around the Pacific and PNG is no exception. Mr Rheeney's concern now is to find solutions to these challenges.

Mr Rheeney told the NBC, every newsroom has its own challenges, and the 2024 Pacific International Media Conference is a great forum that brought journalists past, and present including media academics and experts together to share and find answers to these problems.

The former editor says, for PNG at current is the proposed media policy that is seen as a threat and challenge for some. Many journalists and media houses are in question on what this policy might do to affect their way of reporting.

Papua New Guinea's Information Communication and Technology Minister Timothy Masius whose Ministry is spearheading this media policy was also part of the conference spoke positive about the policy.

Minister Masiu stated that the draft policy is to elevate the media profession in PNG and calls for the development of media self-regulation in the country without government's direct intervention.

The draft policy also intends to strike a balance between the media's ongoing role on transparency and accountability on the one hand and the dessemination of developmental information on the other hand.