19 November 2008
Laban condemns mainstream Pacific media coverage
22 September 2006
By Vicki Waterhouse: Te Waha Nui Online
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The Associate Minister of Pacific Affairs today criticised the mainstream media for poor coverage of Pacific news and current affairs.
Luamanuvao Winnie Laban told the audience at the two-day Pacific Islands Media Association conference at AUT University that the coverage of the death of the King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was an example.
She opened the annual PIMA conference and made several remarks about the lack of Tongan perspectives on the issue.
“Where was the Tongan comment?,” she asked.
“There were some simplistic and nasty comments on the radio and in the print media about the Tongan royal family.”
Laban said Wanganui mayor Michael Laws’ comment about the King of Tonga being a “brown slug” was tasteless.
She singled out independent columnist Tapu Misa writing in the New Zealand Herald and praised her for her Pacific perspective.
She said the mainstream needed more Pacific media input when covering Pacific issues.
“The Pacific media have a responsibility to challenge mainstream stereotyping and bias in the media,” she said.
“It’s important that what we see and what we hear reflects our diverse nation.”
Laban said she wanted to see Pacific media dig deeper into the issues that affected Pacific peoples and tackle the harder stories.
“I would like to see our Pacific media taking up more of the challenge of the ‘tough’ and ‘uncomfortable’ issues of the day,” she said.
Niu FM chief executive Sina Moore said it was not easy to find a Pacific perspective with so few Pacific journalists.
“We have really struggled to find Pacific journalists,” she said.
She said the Pacific view of an issue is very different from the mainstream view.
“We take a very different perspective to it,” she said.
Links:
- PIMA
