Contents

This edition was assisted with funding by the University of Papua New Guinea Research and Publications Committee and the Dutch-based Communication Assistance Foundation (CAF).

News report of the launching of this edition of PJR: Post-Courier 16 March 1998:
Probing journalism alive in Pacific - Ombudsman

Editorial: Mercenaries and the media

Articles

• MEDIA, CHURCH AND THE SANDLINE PLOT?
  By William Ferea
  The news media (both Papua New Guinean and foreign) did a great job carrying the events of the Sandline crisis and the general election in its wake. Journalists and the churches would fight to the end for freedom of the press and preserving the constitutional essence of Section 46.

• THE UNREPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
  By Alan Robson
  Favourable public opinion egged the military on and forced Chan's hand over the resignation demand. Singirok struck a popular chord when he accused the Government of corruption in spite of the fact that he himself had been a party to the mercenary agreement.

• 'THE WORLD IS WATCHING AND WE'VE GOT A MESSAGE'
  By Michael Field
  World coverage on the Sandline affair was in contrast to that of the long-running civil war on Bougainville. Foreign journalists have been kept out and perhaps it is just a coincidence that its horrors have never been live on CNN but now peace is close for its hard-pressed people.

• SINGIROK CLAIMS DENIED
  By Peter Cronau
  Claims by sacked PNG military commander Jerry Singirok before the first mercenary Commission of Inquiry that Sandline planned to hire a journalist for A$250,000 to 'positively report on Sandline' have been strongly denied by the two named journalists.

• FRI PRES: MEDIA FREEDOM IN THE PACIFIC
  By David Robie
  Assaults, arbitrary imprisonment, gaggings, threats and defamation cases have become an increasing hazard for Pacific journalists. And they also face mounting pressure from governments to be accountable and to report the truth. But the issue is whose truth and accountability to whom? The text of the controversial television program shown twice on EM TV in May 1997 to mark World Press Freedom Day.

  OMBUDSMAN COMMISSION AND THE MEDIA:
  

• 1 SEEDS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
  By Simon Pentanu
  The most serious threat to PNG society is none other than ourselves, not some monsters from outer space or Australia! ... The deepest fear of many of us today is not that our leaders are inadequate but that they are becoming powerful beyond measure.

• 2 PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE OMBUDSMAN
  By Anna Solomon
  The Ombudsman Commission's ability in getting results again reinforces the public's confidence in the Ombudsman office and what it stands for - standing up for the rights of individuals who would otherwise be ignored by the powers that be.

• 3 PUBLIC OPINION AND THE NEWS MEDIA
  By Frank Senge Kolma
  During the elections the news media, both as a corporate citizen and as the conveyor of events, happenings and decisions to the masses, is called upon to exercise more care and responsibility than at any other time. An innocent looking news article could spell doom for a political party or a leader.

• POLITICAL GUIDELINES
  The National
  

• 4 TV - TRANSPARENT OR OPAQUE?
  By John Taylor
  Try to understand the source of the story, the channel, the program, even the presenter. Presenters become credible because of their record of telling the truth, being transparent, that's what gets them their viewers and keeps them. The truth differs depending where you are standing.

• HOT-WIRED MEDIA
  By David Robie
  Papua New Guinea's two daily newspapers are leading the way in the response of the South Pacific news media to the challenge of cyberspace. Both websites came of age during the Sandline mercenary crisis, underscoring the value of content on the Internet.

• BETTER AIDS COVERAGE
  By Trevor Cullen
  One of the basic roles of journalism is to inform people about what is happening. Technically, we describe this as the 'watchdog' role. But in Papua New Guinea the 'watchdog' has dangerously dosed off on the AIDS situation.

• 'CENSORSHIP BY EXILE' IN MICRONESIA
  By Peter Cronau
  Now living in Guam, banned editor Sherry O'Sullivan launched in August her Micronesia News Magazine, distributing it widely. The first issue contained a barrage of information embarrassing the FSM government, including on corruption.

• CELL LINES AND COMMODITIES: THE HAGAHAI PATENT AFFAIR
  By David Robie
  In March 1995, the United States Government issued a patent on a human cell line for an indigenous Hagahai man from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Critics saw this is a 'new and dangerous' era in intellectual property rights while even defenders conceded there are serious dilemmas embracing ethics, the law and the media.

• OBSERVER UNDER THREAT
  By Savea Sano Malifa
  The publisher of the Samoa Observer has been battling a long, courageous and expensive campaign to defend his newspaper. And the latest Government attacks on the Observer are a chilling bid to curb free speech.

• MEDIA AND THE MESSAGE
  By David Robie
  The University of PNG's journalism program has performed with distinction since it began in 1975 with New Zealand Government aid funding the staff and courses for about three years. More than 170 students have graduated with degrees or diplomas in journalism and the university's alumni are today found in key media positions or civil life throughout the Pacific.

• THE ORIGINS OF JOURNALISM EDUCATION AT UPNG
  By Peter Henshall
  

• THE PACIFIC MISSION PRESS
  By Philip Cass
  The missions were the first to bring printing presses to the region and usually the first to establish a newspaper in the various islands. Despite their limited circulations, church newspapers are still important because of their role in preserving local languages and because of their historical function.

• PRACTISE WHAT YOU PREACH
  By Fiji Times
  

• HARD-HITTING EDITORIALS
  IFEX
  

• THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK
  By Fiji Times
  

• PAPARAZZI V BRITISH MEDIA
  By Sorariba Nash
  In spite of the tragedy of Princess Diana and the public backlash against paparazzi, the British Government has refused to implement recommendations of statutory control in 'privacy'. It must have faith in self-regulation by the media; and it does not believe control is necessary in a democracy.

• RADIO DJIIDO TURNS TEN
  By Kalinga Seneviratne
  Although its mission is to be the Kanak people's voice, Radio Djiido broadcasts news and commentary in French. This use of the colonial language to further an indigenous cause might appear odd, but the reason is purely pragmatic - there are 32 different Kanak languages.

  CARTOONISTS:
  

• JADA WILSON
  By Independent (PNG)

  PROFILES IN MEDIA:

• JOSEPH EALEDONA
  By Joseph Morokana

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