Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

New rules bring uncertainty to Fiji media

Posted at 00:12 on 20 February, 2013 UTC

A freelance journalist in Fiji Ricardo Morris says new rules on political reporting are expected to bring more uncertainty and caution to the profession.

The interim government has brought in an amendment to the month-old Political Parties Decree which means leaders of news organisations now face up to five years in jail and a 28 thousand dollar fine if they report on unregistered organisations purporting to be a political party.

Ricardo Morris says it will be very easy for journalists to slip up.

“We now cannot for example speak to people like Mick Beddoes and identify him. I suppose we could identify him as a former member of the former UPP party or something along those lines but it just makes it all the more tedious trying to talk to former political leaders who now no longer belong to a registered political party.”

Freelance journalist, Ricardo Morris