BY LORETTA B MANELE
Free media is one of Solomon Islands democracy’s last bastion and the UK is helping it to maintain its independence and keep it functioning.
In a key-note speech at SIBC studios, British High Commissioner, HE Paul Turner, said that the greatest threat to mainstream media in Solomon Islands came from two opposite directions.
First, there was a threat from the uncontrolled spread of false news through the internet. Second, the threat from influences outside the country which seek to muzzle free speech and control the media.
The challenge for mainstream news outlets in Solomons was to resist both these pressures.
The High Commissioner was presenting certificates to young Solomon Islander journalists who had successfully completed a UK funded BBC Media Action course in TV journalism.
The journalists, who came from broadcast, printed and digital media outlets, had completed the BBC Media Action two-week course.
Turner said that different forms of media pitched a news story in different ways.
Because of the visual impact of television news, he said TV new channels such as SIBC had to tread a delicate line between breaking the news story whilst also ensuring the reports and facts were watertight in terms of accuracy.
Turner said some online news sources were less controlled and therefore less cautious at times.
This could lead to journalists being ‘faster and looser’ with the story which could lead to inaccuracies.
But he also stressed that there were some excellent online news platforms.
Turner reflected on the BBC News in the UK which, as the primary public broadcaster, was often slower than other online outlets on providing details of a breaking story.
This was because of the due diligence of sources that the BBC was required to undertake. He said the same was true for SIBC.
But he said people in the UK still turn to the public broadcaster to get the news on big events and he gave the example of the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II where most of the British population exclusively tuned into the BBC to get their news.
Turner applauded the generally open and free spirit of the media in Solomon Islands and said it was encouraging to see a healthy, investigative press and online media.
He said the fact that journalists were prepared to challenge the official Government line was a positive, a true sign of democracy at work.
However, he said there were always the threat from those who wish to control the media more.
He said this pressure sometimes came from external sources.
Turner concluded saying free media in Solomons was thriving but still could be threatened and no one should not be complacent.
BBC Media Action is ramping up with its training of local media personnel, from editors to senior and cadet reporters.
A major one is coming up which will train newsrooms on fact-checking and verification of news amid the growing challenges of social media and misinformation.
The training last week was on TV Journalism, a timely one for news outlets such as the Island Sun newspaper which is venturing into TV in the near future, and sees such training as vital to prepare its team ahead of the transition.
Photo: Supplied
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
Editor: [email protected]
