this is who i work for now

impending departure of print journalism

of course we print journos may all fear the demise of our industry what with the growing urge and practice of online journalism taking the focus away from print, it is an inevitable truth that we must all come to face. print journalism is quick fading.
its now the day an age of blackberry, ipods and cam corders, no more notepads or inky pens in pockets for old-skool journos as we are now called.
the fairfax fuckwit redundancies in aussie last week is a kind reminder of this fact, as the online journalism takes over, our print generation will face an impending doom which will probably only be preserved in computer chips as scanned copies of the once well read and passed around newspaper.
but it is not such a bad thing, the mere existence of this blog is a suggestion that i too have betrayed my original commitment and loyalty to pure print journalism. we are after all in a day and age of virtual reality where even the average citizen can become a journalist from the comfort or discomfort of their own homes.
perhaps the hope of journalism lies in the essence of the practice, that of verification and the observance of j-ethics!

word up!

cj

should i marry a speller?

Someone whom I consider my mentor told me recently that I should consider marrying a speller. What he was indicating of course, without seeming too offensive was that absolutely sucked at spelling, I'm certain he meant it in the nicest possible way :)

Fact is, he is not the first person to suggest if not blatantly point out this weakness is my literary abilities (or inabilities:) but the question is, if I marry a speller, would that make me a good one? According to him, at least then theres someone who can read through my final copy before its sent to the Editor :) .. good point! So while I go out to look for a speller to marry, I am goign to cotninue to mipsell a tol of waht i wirte frm hree on :) hehehe... that felt good!

All in a days work

Today I woke up to a phone call from a Diplomatic representative to Samoa, no names mentioned here, but the person wanted to clarify a comment made yesterday during an interview. I wonder if they sleapt well just thinking of the comment, thankfully I did not take note and therefore did not use it in the article I wrote, phew, that saved me some stress.

Two days ago I woke up to a well known business man on the phone, he said there were no pests in his house, apparantly one of my reporters wrote a story indicating there was a certain invasive species in his home. Poor man called and said that the Quarantine was searching his premises because of the article written by our reporter... oops, but in our defence, his name was brought forward by quarantine, so I explained it nicely to him, that we didn't make any of the shit up :)
About two weeks ago I received a call from a close relative, she was pissed off that we had published the name of her son who was charged for posession of narcotics. I felt like saying, dude, its not like a I put the freaking joint in his bag, he knowingly put it there himself. But such is the love of a mother, it sees no boundaries at times, I tottally understood why she scolded me the Editor instead of her son :)

A car pulled up outside and a young gentleman walked into the building, he wanted to buy a copy of Newsline today. I told our reporter to give him a copy for free as I was certain it cost him more to drive here than to buy the actual paper, but as the car pulled out, I noticed that it belonged to a Government body that received bad reviews in our Service Reviewer. Chances are the CEO sent the special vehicle to hunt down the paper so they could see what rave reviews they received, ah well, its all in the name of transparency, I hope in some way it does improve the service in this country.

I went to get some information from the owner of the new lingerie store in town, and while I was at it I enquired about a few other things .The owner said, well, as opposed to popular belief, Samoan women do like to wear G-strings. "Really theres a few women who come in, of all sizes requesting Gs," the owner said. I felt like asking if men come in for male Gs as well... chooo hooo.. that would have been something.

Debating th stupid hand drive

By Cherelle Jackson

APIA- The debate on the Right Hand Drive (RHD) was yesterday renamed by the Prime Minister of Samoa, Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi as the Correct Hand Drive.
During a Press Conference on the issue, Tuilaepa referred to the current left hand drive that Samoans are using as stupid hand drive.
“If you think about it, we refer to the right hand as the smart hand, and the left as the stupid one, currently Samoans are changing gears with the smart hand, the right and driving with their stupid hand, the left,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister, switching from left to right is therefore the logical choice.
“Things would finally be put right if we switch to using the right hand, or the correct one,” he said.
His explanation comes after criticisms from various respectable members of the community accusing the current Government of dictatorial leadership by imposing changes that are not necessarily endorsed by members of the public.
The debate which has been raging in the past few weeks is intriguing to say the least.
For the first time, some who previously supported the Government are standing up and voicing their objections to the possible change in legislation.
“The world is moving forward and we are looking way ahead of us,” Tuilaepa said yesterday.
But the community thinks otherwise, and as the Chamber of Commerce and NGO submission made clear last month, it would cost Samoa to change then to remain in the left hand drive.
Six leaders of local organizations who represent more then fifty associations, professional bodies, civil societies, non governmental organizations and businesses, with a collective membership of more then 10,000 people drafted a submission to Government expressing their dismay at the sudden change.
“On behalf of our members, we write to formally record that we do not support Governments proposal to change from left hand drive to right hand drive and respectfully seek your reconsideration of the Government decision,” the submission stated.
“Government’s decision is likely to have substantially negative effects through the underlying message it sends to people. At a time when Samoa has been independent for 45 years, and will be graduating from its least developed country status in three years time, the policy signals Governments continuing dependency on aid handouts from donors and promotes continuing dependency by our own people on families overseas.”
The projected write off value for vehicles if the change goes through amounts to close to $300million tala, but that is the minimum estimation according to the submission committee.
Tuilaepa however insists that this is the best decision for Samoa.
“The switch to RHD will make vehicles more accessible to the people in the rural areas, it means their relatives can buy them cars and send them back to Samoa from New Zealand,” he said.
Tuilaepa said the comparative import outlined in the submission by the Chamber and NGOs are merely for the sake of business owners.
The submission clearly indicated that the importation of vehicles from New Zealand or Australia will by far be more expensive then the current importation from America, Japan and other further destinations.
By the end of the Press Conference yesterday, Tuilaepa had linked the switch from left hand drive to climate change.
According to him, if more people in the rural areas have vehicles, it makes it easier for them to move inland therefore saving them from the rising sea levels and ultimately from the impacts of climate change.
Far fetched perhaps, but an intriguing link nonetheless.
Asked as to the difference between driving up the hill in a left hand drive or a right hand drive he said: “Well more people in the rural areas can get access to right hand drive because of their relatives in New Zealand.”
This Friday will see members of the public gather to express their views on the issue, it will make for a fascinating debate.
This will be an interesting test for the Samoan people, how vocal will they be, and how passionate are Samoans to impose the changes they wish to see?
According to Asiata Saleimoa Vaai, current Member of Parliament and Leader of Samoa Democratic United Party, Samoans need to make their voices heard.
“The apathy of our people has lead the Government to make decisions without their approval,” Asiata said.
If the right hand drive goes forward without the approval of the people, what does this mean for Samoa?
We are currently being hailed internationally as the shining star of the Pacific in terms of stability and good governance.
Indeed this issue will put the shining star to the test, what will prevail in the end will determine the fate of our good governance status.
Tuilaepa reminded the media yesterday that he has won an award for his efforts in transparency, accountability and good governance.
This will be a good test for that award.

Samoans to take to the streets

APIA - More than 10,000 Samoans are expected to take to the streets of Apia in a protest march against the proposed switch to right hand drive (RHD) by the Government of Samoa.
The march will be the climax of a massive anti RHD campaign by members of the public since Government proposed the changer in October.
International media are expected to attend the event which some say will shake the nation.
Spearheading the protests against RHD is prominent Samoan Lawyer Toailoa Toleafoa Toailoa.
The mass campaign visibly started two weeks ago, when Toailoa called a public meeting, urging every Samoan opposed to the switch to make their voices heard.
Hundreds of community leaders, business owners, former politicians and car owners attended the gathering which sounded more and more like angry mob after a few passionate arguments by local elders.
Since then hundreds of stickers branded ‘No to RHD’ have been distributed and are plastered on vehicles all over Samoa.
T-shirts with the same slogan are also being worn by members of the public on a daily basis.
Petitions are being signed by hundreds on the streets also opposing the switch.
A media campaign on television, radio and newsprint sponsored by the peoples committee against the switch is also well underway.
The protest march on Monday is expected to start at 8:30am, from the Government building in the center of Apia, to the Parliament building at Tiafau.
The notion to march was put forth at the public meeting after exhausting all other methods to be heard by the Government.
One disgruntled chief from Savaii stood up and said: “Lets stop Parliament from meeting on this issue.”
The protest will march to the Parliament building where Members of Parliament including Cabinet members will be meeting at 9:00am on the same morning.
Those opposed to RHD have been called on to wear white tops or shirts as a sign of peace on the day of the protest march.
Bus drivers, taxi drivers and private vehicle owners are also being urged by the committed against RHD to give priority to members of the public who will attend the march.
The protest march will be the first sign of social unrest in Samoa, signaling an official end to the “pin up star” image we previously held in the region.

the importance of being earnest

I have been lucky in my life, to be given so many opportunities to improve my skills as a journalist and to sharpen my gender lenses. I used to think, in my own arrogant-know-it-all-teenage-mind, that my strength was in what I knew, but really my real strength is in the type of people I know. For instance, I know some great minds who have nurtured mine and made it open and understanding, without the positivity around me I would not have harnessed my own sense of optimism.

gonna be home soon

Boy its been a while! Since my last entry I have travelled to five countries and have not spent more then six days in one locations. Exciting but tiring. The journey has been amazing. I miss being home though.

The era of self loathing

A review of the Australian newsprint media as published in Newsline Samoa Newspaper

By Cherelle Jackson*

Never before in the history of Australian media have there been so much criticism and examination of the fourth estate until now.
The makers of the news have officially arrived at an era of self loathing, which may as well be a sign of a healthy media.
Australian Journalists, at least the senior ones have come to realize the media industries misdemeanors and misguided attempts at journalistic superiority at the expense of quality and integrity in the news media.
TV Shows, websites, books and columns have been solely established to examine the media and makers of the news themselves.
Media Watch, an Australian Broadcasting Corporations (ABC) programme that presents a critical analysis of specific media has become one of the most watched shows in Australia which therefore shows, that even the consumers of the media are concerned about what they are receiving.
At a time when news is shaping peoples perception and influencing the direction of Australian politics, it is daunting to see that news as we know it has taken the backseat to the opinions of Journalists, Editors and media owners.

Generation Journalism ‘I’
More and more it is the writer not the story that defines the importance of the news.
The “I think” line has taken precedence over the “According to” and the bolded byline has certainly overshadowed the value of a headline.
The Age, the highest selling broadsheet newspaper in Melbourne and one of the more influential publications have easily featured opinion pieces on the front page to complement a news item.
“Gone are the times when we were just news reporters, now we are journalists who actually have something to say, we don’t have the right to do this, we are supposed to report, not to have an opinion,” said a former Herald Sun Editor.
Unsurprisingly it is the veterans of Australian Journalism who are leading the campaign against the self obsessed media and not necessarily the disgruntled media consumers themselves.
In his much talked about book ‘The media we deserve’ senior Journalist and former Executive Producer of Media Watch, Mr. David Salter offers an all too true expression: “But occasionally it strikes me that the media trying to examine its own failings is as pointless as a dog chasing its tail.”
But there is value in self criticism; the Australian media remains admirably liberal and comprehensive in content despite’ its shortcomings.

Sensationalism, a common affliction
In addition to the Journalism generation ‘I’ the Australian newsprint media has also been afflicted with the mainstream ailment of sensational reporting.
The ‘shame, shock, sham’ stream headliners are an all too familiar occurrence in daily newsprint media, but not all.
The fact that the Herald Sun in Melbourne is one if not the highest selling newsprint media in all of Australia does reflect that media consumers do have a preference for the sensational, thus the domino effect on the otherwise conservative media.
But there is hope yet, the only national newspaper, The Australian has proven solid in its representation of national issues and The Australian Financial Review, committed to the unfailing coverage of business, finance and economics issues without the embarrassing journalistic frills.
The two newspapers are widely read by corporate Australians, whose preference and a straight forward and specialized approach to news has given journalism integrity hope of survival.
It is understandable however to see the involuntary if not exquisitely planned stray of broadsheet and tabloid media to sensationalism, succumbing once again to the drive for readership over quality.
This mass turn towards cheap and easy to read product has undoubtedly made news accessible to the less-demanding media consumer.
Gideon Haigh, Journalist, author and one of Australias most vocal critics of current journalism said: “I open the modern newspaper with a sense of dismay. I find a media culture which places a high premium on excitement, controversy and sentimentality, in which information takes second place to the opinions it arouses.”
Still, such are the ways of mainstream media, and as long as the Australian media consumer prefers the sensational over quality in their newsprint consumption, then that is what they will be given, and as long as the industry wants to survive it will serve the hand that feeds it.

Media bickering
Haigh however argues that the relation between journalism generation ‘I’ and decline in readership quality says otherwise: “As we have risen in our own estimation, so have we diminished in the public’s, thinking of ourselves as chiefly answerable to one another rather than to our readers and viewers, like a military junta whose generals rejoice in pinning medals on one another’s chests.”
But self obsession and sensationalism are not the only challenges facing the Australian media.
With the bulk of newsprint owned by two, Murdoch and Fairfax, the industry has become like an old married couple going through a very messy divorce.
It’s a love to hate relationship dominated by the usual martyrs of the fourth estate, the spine climbing journalist, the egotistical editor and the ignorant reader.
That being said, Australian media are definitely not above belittling each other, perhaps this is a universal trait in the media industry.
Uncertainty however tends to bring out the worse in people, and at a turning point in the universal concept of Journalism, it has taken its toll on Australias thriving media.

Convergent Journalism
The threat is the gradual acceptance of convergent journalism, which is the integration of multimedia skills into daily news gathering.
Convergent journalism is the oil in developmental approach to makers of the news.
This modern reconstruction of journalism will inevitably transform the face of news media globally.
Convergent journalism is threatening the mere existent of traditional pen and paper approach replaced by digital recorder, camera, video camera and the ever present laptop.
If impressions of the past two months are accurate then newsprint journalists are a dying breed, convergent journalists however have a better chance of survival than any other in the industry.
Fairfax, the other half of the Australian media industry is investing big dollars to turn their newsprint empires into online text, video and audio streaming for the sake of the internet news addict.
News Limited although their heart is in the right place in trying to achieve a remarkable web presence, have failed miserably in some of their attempts.
Traditional pen and paper journalists who resist this unavoidable move towards virtual news will face difficulties to remain in the media industry.
Online news companies such as www.crikey.com which recently sold for millions is justification that indeed the future lies in the world wide web.
Another proof is the Eureka Report at www.eurekareport.com serves specialized audience with business, economic and financial news on a weekley subscription only online service.
It is one of the fastest growing service of its type in Australia.

The integrity challenge
But thankfully for the traditional journalist, the internet has not entirely taken over yet.
Newsprint is still preferred by a bulk of readers and advertisers would rather sell to the paper edition then online edition, and as any switched on editor will tell you, that’s where the true bread of journalism lies, so the newsprint editions will remains for a very long time to come.
Overall the Australian newsprint media is a robust representation of the fourth estate in the region.
Like other industries the media faces the same challenge, it is not country specific.
Media ownership is pivotal to freedom of expression, journalism integrity is a constant battle, and editorial influences plague the common newsroom.
These problems persist in the face of developmental journalism and the emerging preference of the convergant journalist.
Hope is in the hands of current Editors, Journalists and Media Owners whose interests and values are reflected on the pages read by millions daily.
The media like its consumers are fickle in its attention, each day presents a new issue, headline and campaign, but the overarching goal is the successful relay of information, and if that is media freedom, if that is indeed journalism integrity and if that is the determinant of quality media, then the Australian media certainly encompasses all those integral characteristics.

*The writer was a recipient of an AusAID Australian Leadership Award in journalism for her role as Editor of Newsline. She participated in a six week working fellowship on Reporting Economic Affairs in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra coordinated by the Asia Pacific Journalism Center. She was attached to the Australian Financial Review.
During the fellowship she met the Editor of The Age, the Editor at Large of Canberra Times, the Opinion Editor of the Australian Financial Review and the Business Editor of The Australian.
Opinions expressed in this piece are solely of the author based observation, dialogue and research and does not reflect the views of the fellowship sponsor or coordinators. Photographs were taken by the author.

back at one

I'm now back at home! I ran out of room on my passport for more stamps :( fark.. didnt even envision that so now I have to apply for a new one before i leave friday morning :(

nz mediaocre

I am now in NZ been here for a few days now, good to see different media. New mastheads, different dickheads on tv, different crap on the radio, overall whole new experience. I must admit I am a bit biased, I have a general preference for NZ media, somehow they do acknowledge that indeed their are people in the vast Pacific ocean, on the islands i mean :)

Todays NZ Herald frontpage was about the Kyoto Protocol and NZ commitment to ratification by 2012 instead of 2020, an awesome frontpager... quite considerate.. i dont think any aussie paper wouldve put the same story on the front page, but then again the priorities differ greatly between the two countries. I have to issue a lil' disclaimer here, obviously i would praise NZherald cause i do work for them :) but cumon man i have to pay a complement where its due.. chooo hoooo.

What i was impressed with however was NZ Heralds tight and controlled web presence, you cannot copy the NZH masthead from anywhere on the web... amazing stuff!

I must admit though that despite NZ media being a pretty solid pack it does play victim to the occassional sensational headliner and story angle... ah but what is mainstream without superficial prostitution of ideas.

The 'I' in journalism however is not so apparant here as in aussie, where every story is about the freaking writer and not the story itself.. i appreciate that!

[image: www.journalistopia.com]

canberra and the times

Ill have to make this quick because some asian woman is literally trying to push me off the farkin computer, like cant you see that im typing something really urgent and checking my bebo, hello :)
I am now in Canberra and in the final stages of the fellowship. Yesterday we visited the AUstralian Press Club, the High Court and a few museums, including the National Museum. Interesting places.
Today we paid the Canberra Times a visit, and that was somewhat cool, to say the least, as in to say a lil' as possible. The newsroom was small for a headquarter, but he printing press is one to die for. THe circulation of the paper is at a grand seventy thousand, the population of canberra being at 300,000 thats pretty cool. Well i better stop here and finish at another time :(

This is todays frontpage of Canberra times, this Cousins fella should have seen it coming! Such a fool!

globalisation, regionalism and localisation aka. big countries rule

This is a very broad look at globalisation, regionalism and localisation, it only scratches at the surface of these three concepts and movements.

Personally although I agree that globalisation can act as an inspiration for change, I feel that small nations such as Samoa stand to lose much economically, environmentally and socially if they are not fully aware of the implications of such agreements as WTO and the Pacific Plan.

Although noble in aim, I feel this is just one way for developed countries to take advantage of the little man, so to speak.

This is indeed a very interesting time to be a Journalist in the Pacific region, it is a defining moment in the history of the world, we are indeed living in a neoliberal era, yet in the Pacific we are also fighting remnants of the colonial era masked as ‘development’ delivered through sexy terminologies such as transparency, accountability and good governance.Is globalisation then just a form of neocolonialism?If you think about it globalization is in a sense colonialism with consent.

Regionalism itself although self motivated has become obligatory.

It makes me wonder, not just as a Journalist but as a citizen of the world, are we becoming closer through the implementation of globalisation or is it further pushing nations apart as the competition becomes fierce and ugly?

Who loses out in the end?

I do find it ironic that globalisation a development tool and one that encourages interdependence attacks the just value that has guaranteed progress, democracy.
Globalisation compromises democracy by distorting autonomy and the sovereignty of a nation as they are bulked into regionalism and later globalization.

Is this progress?Is it development if we achieve global success at the expense of our national identities?

I personally do not think so, as a proud Samoan I feel that our culture, our society and the way we do things separate us from the rest of the world.

Economic progress should never be declared at the regress of society or culture.But is this not the inevitable?

Is this a fate that we must accept in order to be part of the world?Perhaps, but as long as we are true to ourselves, maintain our values and tamper only with the periphery we can somehow find a balance, embrace regionalism and globalisation yet still be unique.

In the words of The Alchemist author Paolo Coelho: “It we fulfil our personal legends we are contributing to the soul of the world.” [extracted from a paper i wrote for the fellowship]

coffee cups and fear of numbers

I'm now sitting in my small dormitory room at Sunbury Halls, trying to recover from two weeks of full on studying, writing, talking, observing, sharing and trying to get sleep in between all of those. The room is a big mess, teacups everywhere, newspapers strewn on the floor, cameras with dying batteries abandoned in a moment of rush, thoughts scattered and ideas in a mess but unseen in the room.

Ive got a massive headache but theres nothing i can do about it, i can't sleep because theres too much noise, i cant really eat cause theres nothing to eat and i certainly do not want to go for a walk cause its too blumin cold outside :(

I learnt this week that i will be working at the Australian Financial Review for a few days as part of the journalism fellowship, i'm looking forward to it, not everyday cherelle permits herself to see numbers in sequence, i think im finally lifting up that curtain that long time ago i pulled down on maths.. although technically this is not maths, its economics and i can do economics any day :) anyhow so this should be good. well best get off this thing and check my bebo account :) yes the busy life of a journalist :)

foot in my mouth disease

Sometimes I swear I am plagued with the foot in mouth disease :) in that I constantly put my foot in my mouth without intending to do so, metaphorically speaking of course! Last night one of my foot in mouth situations was at the table with all the fellows, coordinators and trainers I said to the chairman of apjc: "Your wife is very tall." He said: "Yes she is." everyone nodded their heads in agreement with my sentiment then ms jackson went on to say: "So how was it in the begining?" It was one of those moments, blonde moments when my need to know how he felt being a short man being seen with a much taller woman really came out as me wondering about the poor mans sex life... hehe... chooo hooo.

Lastnight I had what has been described by my boss as a 'literary diahhorea' whereby i sat down to write on a topic and everything just poured onto the pages and the next thing you know i had written twenty pages worth of critique on globalisation, it was awesome! The night before I also went on an analytical rampage and came up with abou fifteen pages worth of graphs and content analysis of the three main newspapers in melbourne, its kinda nice to finally write without the rules that surround journalism, its like my mind just let go and let flow:)

Samoa Industry:

Market Population:

179,186 people (Industrial area 70,000 pple)

Employment:

20, 396 end of first quarter 2007 (MOF)

Employment:

(Public) 52,000 (Stats Dept)

National Budget:

Revenues: 554 million

Expenditure: 584million

Deficit: 30million

Surplus after borrowing: 945million

MAIN INDUSTRIES:

Tourism: 226million

Transport and Communications: 131 million

Agriculture: 68million

Manufacturing: 89million

Construction: 87million

OUTLOOK:

MOF: 3.8 % growth

CBS: Economy forecasted to grow 3% in real terms

ADB: expects 3.4% growth

World Bank: Average Real GDP growth for Pacific is 3.8%

SOURCES:

Budget Address (PM Office)

Statistics Department (Samoa)

Ministry of Finance (Samoa)

Central Bank of Samoa

Asia Development Bank

World Bank

an analysis

So I did a content analysis in regards to news coverage categories preferred by the three main newspapers in Melbourne, The Age, The Australian and The Herald Sun. Interesting finds, it seems The Australian takes more care in covering a broad range of issues whereas The Age although in deapth in other categories tend to steer more towards social stories, whereas the Herald Sun as expected posed more human interest stories than the other two.

Samoa's freedom of press under threat

Anyone who prides in suppressing an otherwise free press is no better then this dead fella. I took this pic in my office two months ago, before it was viciously burnt down!

---------------------------------------------

Story:

June- Freedom of the press and the integrity of journalists are under attack this week in Samoa.
Owner of the largest radio station in Samoa, Radio Polynesia, Maposua Rudolph Keil has made a dramatic stance against freedom of some working Journalists in Samoa.
Maposua issued a letter to Radio Polynesia news team prohibiting them from attending Press Conferences by Saleimoa Vaai Asiata the most recent leader of the Samoa Democratic United Party and current Member of Parliament.
In his letter to his news team Maposua said: "You will not ever attend another Press Conference held by Honourable Asiata Saleimoa Vaai at his office at Fugalei. Should he wish to announce his news item over the air using our facilities he will have to pay for it, otherwise I will not allow it to be broadcasted due to harmful and unproven topics he uses in his Press Conference."
Maposua, a vocal Media owner went on to say: "Further I have indicated at our numerous discussions that you should report and praise the Government on the many good project."
News Editor of Radio Polynesia News Ms. Ame Sene has yet to make a statement in regards to the matter.
The Journalists Association of [Western] Samoa has expressed their dismay at the order by Maposua on his Journalists.




-NZ Herald Online

Information officers and the gag order

Information or Public Relations officers in every other proud democratic state are major components of any public, private or even grass root level organizations.
They are the front of established organizations, ministries and companies whether they be national, regional or international.
Usually armed with Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism or even Human Resource qualifications and experience these people can make or break the public image and reputation of an organization.
They are the shields in times of troubles and the gel in times of friction and hardships for organizations.
Public Relations officers exist to maintain a positive image of their workplace, they are experts on issues relating to them and they are well informed on happenings in their organizations.
One of their major roles is to deal with the media, and a good public relations officer is a friend of the media.
This is one of their more important roles, as through the media they can address the concerns of the public.
Having said that, PR Officers play an integral part in any established body, especially one for the people dealing with members of the public daily.
The concept of Information and PR Officers has yet to make an impact on our shores.
Apart from Ministers, CEO's continue to be the only voice allowed to speak for Government Bodies while General Managers are the point of contact for some Private Sector companies.
Although the heads of these public and private bodies are the best points of reference they are usually either unavailable or take issues too personal therefore some concerns are not addressed.
As a Journalist I appreciate PR Officers, obviously they make my job easier, but most importantly they save time and they would give me an answer within one day.
In some Ministries a gag order is placed on all its workers to prevent them from speaking to the media.
This is a very unfortunate development as without information there is no awareness of success or failures therefore the changes that should be made will rarely occur.
Although I partly understand the reason for this gag order it is unfortunate that some great minds and inspirational characters working in Government are not allowed to speak on their respective fields of expertise.
It is also unfortunate as a Journalist passionate about Environmental and Health issues not to be able to interview third level Government workers for their opinion and their take on issues.
The gag order takes away from the freedom of our supposed democratic society.
When Government workers are afraid to speak for fear of repercussions on their careers it is very unfortunate, the gag order prohibits freedom of expression one of the founding pillars of democracy.
This habit of suppression although deeply routed in our culture should be diminished to allow for development.
Freedom to information, freedom of expression and freedom of the media are the core of any free and democratic state, like Samoa, unfortunately this is not exercised here.

-Newsline

tired of the asia-pacific term

I will no longer stand for this Asia-Pacific crap, don't these foreigners know that the Pacific is a separate entity in itself, ok so you can barely make out our islands on the map but for Gods sake dont bulk us in like a freaking piece tuna steak, we are different, theres Asia and then theres the Pacific, one and the other. If I have to hear one more reference to AsiaPacific as where I am from I swear I will throw a bitch fit :) joking.
When people, governments or organisations use this term they really mean Asia, not the Pacific. It is a constant uphill struggle to prove that we are indeed separate... ok ill stop ranting :)