* See PMW items 2805, 2802, 2801, 2776, 2772, 2770, 2741, 2740, 2739, 2738,
2737, 2735.
Fiji TV May 29 Close-Up transcript: http://www.journalism.uts.edu.au/archive/fiji_coup/0529policemandies.html
USP Journalism online (new UTS host): http://www.journalism.uts.edu.au/
USP Journalism ("mirror" of gagged site): http://www.sidsnet.org/pacific/usp/journ/
Wansolwara Online: http://www.lookinglassdesign.com/wansolwara/wansol.html
Have your say: http://www.TheGuestBook.com/vgbook/109497.gbook
-------------------
SUVA (PMW): Professors, journalism schools and media freedom groups have
protested to the University of the South Pacific for suspending its
Pacific Journalism Online website, describing it as a violation of press freedom.
Appealing for the website to be reopened without delay, the critics have
cited the university's duty to uphold and defend the twin principles of
academic freedom and free speech during the political crisis gripping Fiji.
The critics include the Paris-based media freedom organisation Reporters
Sans Fronti*res, professors at four leading journalism schools in
Australia and New Zealand, New Zealand's Journalism Educators
Association (JEANZ), the NZ Society of Authors, NZ Pen and the
Commonwealth Journalists Association.
They have also appealed for the university to allow the award-winning
training newspaper Wansolwara to be published freely.
A special edition on the Fiji crisis was published earlier this month in
spite of threats by some senior administrators to censor it, or prevent
its distribution. But its online edition is still barred.
The Paris-based RSF noted that the website had been suspended by
university authorities on May 29 for "security reasons" a day after
Fiji
Television was attacked and trashed by supporters of rebel leader George Speight.
RSF's general secretary Robert M*nard said in a letter to
Vice-Chancellor Esekia Solofa that "gagging a website that merely
publishes news, and in a professional manner, is a violation of press
freedom".
Professor John Henningham, head of the University of Queensland's
journalism department, Australia's oldest and largest journalism school,
said: "Such an action strikes at the heart of press and media freedom,
and sends a very disturbing message to the fine group of students who in
the midst of their study of journalism at USP are contributing to
increased awareness of the Fiji coup.
"Suspension of a news and information-based website is equivalent to
closing down a newspaper or television station, and clearly breaks the
most fundamental principle of press freedom to which all journalists
(and academics) are pledged."
Associate professor Chris Nash, director of the Australian Centre for
Independent Journalism at the University of Technology, Sydney, which is
hosting an alternative website for the USP journalism students,
expressed his "deep regret and profound concern" over the website
closure.
"The academics, journalists and journalism students of Fiji are being
watched by the rest of the world," he said.
"There is a great deal of sympathy for their current plight, but
nonetheless there are expectations of what appropriate professional
behaviour would encompass in the current situation.
"These expectations are similar to those of hospitals, doctors and
nurses in a civil conflict - they are expected to rise to the situation.
"The suggestion that journalism staff and students, and indeed any
academics, might somehow desist from reporting, commenting and
publishing on the current situation is akin to suggesting that doctors
and nurses should turn their backs on wounded people in a conflict. It
is unconscionable."
Associate professor Mark Pearson, head of journalism at Bond University
in Queensland, and a former president of Australia's Journalism
Education Association, said: "Please let your journalists do what they
must: provide independent, objective reports of the crisis in their
print, broadcast and online media. Please instruct your staff to allow
Pacific Journalism Online and Wansolwara to publish freely with your blessing.
"Please show the world that two flames of freedom are burning brightly
in the Pacific despite the recent political events: the flame of
academic freedom and the flame of press freedom. Let history judge USP proudly!"
Pen NZ Centre writers' organisation chairman Gordon McLauchlan said the
university should "allow the free flow of ideas and opinions as an antidote
to oppression and fear".
David Venables, president of the Journalism Educators Association of New
Zealand, said it was "important that media organisations and
universities everywhere do not compromise freedom of speech or press
freedom and cave in to threats of violence.
"We understand the students have petitioned you for reinstatement of the
website. We urge you to accept their petition and reopen it," he added.
Murray Burt, president of the Commonwealth Journalists Association,
said: "I have watched their [the students'] writing closely. For the
most part it has been excellent - tempered, insightful, lawful and
credible in its very closeness to the action. There has been a measure
of bravery, too, which should not be forgotten when the dust settles.
"I have visited your beautiful campus. I hold your journalism programmes
in high regard. It would be a shame if the respect won in the
Commonwealth and South Pacific were sullied by an attack of bureaucratic
timidity."
Dr Alan Cocker, leader of the postgraduate media programme at Auckland
University of Technology, said: "In times when academic freedom is
under attack it would be expected that this would draw the media's
attention and focus. In the same way an attack on media freedom should
spark action from the academy.
"When the media are based within the university, the obligation to
defend principles taught with conviction to students cannot be put aside."
USP's journalism coordinator David Robie said the suspension was an
"unfortunate" decision and a "blow to the developing professionalism
and
enthusiasm" of student journalists.
"Any notion that journalism students shouldn't do real journalism is
absurd. This is what journalism education is all about - integrated
theory and practice on the job."
He said he had appealed to the university administration for a review of
the decision to get the website reopened as soon as possible.
"It has been closed three weeks now and the longer it is left like that,
it will have a damaging effect on the students' education. Many of the
teaching materials and links are on line and now cannot be accessed by students."
Robie said an exact "mirror" copy of the USP journalism website had
been
hosted on the Small Island Developing States Network and it was
"pointless" not to reopen it at USP.
University authorities have made no public comment since the closure.
However, Vice-Chancellor Solofa told Wansolwara reporters earlier this
month: "The recent damage to Fiji Television premises show that because
of Pacific Journalism Online, the whole of USP might have been at risk."
The gagged USP journalism website:
http://www.sidsnet.org/pacific/usp/journ/
The alternative USP journalism site hosted at UTS:
http://www.journalism.uts.edu.au/
+++niuswire
Subject: [pacific_media_watch] 2808 FIJI: Media groups call on USP to reopen
journalism website
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 11:23:58 +1300
From: Journ12 <robie_d@usp.ac.fj>
Organization: Journalism, University of the South Pacific
To: Pacific Media Watch <pacific_media_watch@lists.c2o.org>
Title -- 2808 FIJI: Media groups call on USP to reopen journalism
website
Date -- 20 June 2000
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- USP Journalism Programme, 20/6/00
Copyright -- USP Journalism
Status -- Unabridged
-------------------
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