Update: 4:04PM THE media in Fiji at times does not respect the responsibility aspect of their operations through lack of commitment on issues and poor journalism standards.
Responding to the Fiji Human Rights Commission media freedom report, Ecumenical Centre for Research Education and Advocacy (ECREA) executive Chantelle Khan said a lot was being said about media freedom.
There is also the discussion about the media being corporate owned and controlled in reality meaning that the media is merely an extension or mouth-piece for the elite, she said.
It has been duly noted that the media plays a very big role in the shaping of perception in Fiji - this is also brings big responsibility.
At times this responsibility is not respected through lack of commitment to the issues (e.g. the situation with water privatization), poor journalism standards, lack of balance in selecting stories and the ever present pressure to sell newspapers.
Perhaps it is now clear that media is no longer about the news and education but about profits and this is largely accepted.
However Ms Khan said they believed that there should be no impingment on media freedom or expressions by media outlets in reporting events, not from any form of state authority whether democratically elected or military installed.
It is essential for people to understand that the role of the media is important in allowing a nation to speak and voice opinions and challenge those in power and it is a previlige to be able to do so, she said.
