POLITICAL JOURNALISM: Fiji media regulation: Emerging from ‘worst of times’ to ‘best of times’?

Abstract

A tragic result of the repressive media environment in Fiji has been a huge brain drain within the industry. Many of the best and experienced media workers have left or been forced out. In fact, Australia and New Zealand have benefitted by the migration of some of Fiji’s senior media workers from as far back as 1987, the year of the first two military coups by Lieutenant-Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka, and more so in the past eight years since the Voreqe Bainimarama coup in December 2006. Those who have remained have either been moved to non-controversial roles or mellowed to the point of silence.

Keywords

• democracy
• Fiji coups
• media freedom
• media law
• media regulation
• military