Economic Pressures Threaten Regional Media Freedom: Report

The Pacific Islands Media Freedom Index (PIMFI), launched on Tuesday ahead of the 2024 Pacific Media Summit in Niue, highlights economic pressures as the most critical threat to media freedom in the region.

Based on surveys of 73 journalists, editors, and media executives across 14 Pacific nations, the report highlights financial constraints, social and cultural pressures, and political interference as major obstacles to independent journalism.

The report, published by the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) in collaboration with Internews, shows that many media outlets are struggling to survive due to a lack of advertising revenue, high operational costs, and financial insecurity.

These challenges, the report says are forcing journalists into self-censorship, with 60% of respondents admitting they often refrain from reporting on sensitive issues for fear of reprisals from their communities or governments.

Fiji, one of the countries surveyed, received a score of 3.5 out of 5, with 1 being the most challenging and 5 being the least. Palau, Niue, and the Cook Islands were ranked as the top Pacific nations for media freedom, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, and Tuvalu scored the lowest.

Harassment of female journalists was also highlighted, with many facing discrimination and mistreatment both online and in their workplaces. The report calls for urgent legal reforms, including decriminalising defamation and enhancing protections for whistleblowers and investigative journalists.

The index also highlights a lack of trust in the media, compounded by gender discrimination and cultural sensitivities that affect reporting, especially in smaller communities where close-knit social ties can lead to backlash. The report’s findings have sparked calls for greater financial support for media outlets, including innovative funding mechanisms and policies to promote editorial independence.

“We need to ensure a diverse and independent media landscape, free from economic and political pressure,” the report recommends, urging Pacific governments to take the lead in creating enabling environments for media freedom.

During the roundtable discussion following the launch, Fijian Media Association general-secretary Stanley Simpson commended the report but raised concerns about its methodology.

He recommended including more face-to-face engagement with media workers in future surveys to gain a deeper understanding of the unique challenges each country faces.

Others from the floor suggested including public perspectives in future editions to assess how well news organisations are exercising press freedom, as well as broadening the scope to include media outlets that cater to Pacific diaspora communities, like Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and Pacific Media Network (PMN).

A key recommendation from the audience was to address the impact of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), on journalism in the Pacific.

As is, the PIMFI is being hailed as a critical first step in understanding and addressing the unique media challenges across the Pacific.

“This report is for us, by us, and about us,” said PFF chairperson Robert Iroga.

“It’s the beginning of a journey to strengthen media freedom in our region.”

The findings were based on an online survey conducted in August, featuring 12 questions and open to voluntary participation.

Of the 73 respondents, 44 were from the Melanesia subregion: Papua New Guinea (14), Solomon Islands (13), Fiji (11), and Vanuatu (6), with three respondents from outside the 14 focus countries. Of the small islands and big Ocean states with lower populations than anywhere in Melanesia, Palau’s participation was high at 10.

• Lavenia Lativerata is a Senior Journalist at MaiTV.

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