Media freedom and access to information is the worst that I have ever seen: Kalafi Moala Featured
Publisher and commentator, Kalafi Moala
3 May, 2018. A prominent publisher in Tonga says media freedom and access to information is the worst that he has seen.
Kalafi Moala says the media environment in Tonga is at a low.
He said the current government was trying to control channels of public information.
Mr Moala gave the move of senior journalists out of the state broadcaster's newsroom as just one example of this.
He said the government also responded to criticism or probing questions by making statements to ridicule the media.
Last week Tonga dropped two places to 51 in the Reporters without Borders freedom rankings.
Mr Moala said it was not an accurate reflection of the country.
"The drop in the ranking of two is so small compared with what we as journalists on the ground here in Tonga are experiencing. This is the worst in 29 years of working as a journalist and publishing here in Tonga, the last three and a half years has been the worst that I have seen in Tonga."
Kalafi Moala spent time in jail in 1996 for contempt of parliament after reporting on proceedings.
-RNZI
2 comments
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Kuo nau 'oho hake 'o pule'i faka'aufuli e Letio Tonga pea 'oatu mo 'enau ki'i siana fiepopoto ke Sea he Poate. Kuo 'ikai ke mau toe fie fanongo ki he A3Z pe fie sio he TV Tonga, he koe ava hake pe he patoa, tapuni he patoa. Fkmole sio koe fu'u polokalama tu'u mauamu 'a hepeti mo piveni he TV, koe vakai koee 'oku tekeutua mai 'o 'ilo 'e mamani katoa 'enau kakaa moe kai pa'anga ka nau mate 'asi mai pe 'o puhi mai e loi moe me'a noa'ia.
'Oku kau nai e 'ilo kihe taumu'a hono fktu'u e Letio Tonga he fiema'u vivili moe emergencies he fonua? lolotonga e si'i tu'u telinga mai 'a si'i kakai na'e uesia lahi 'e Gita moe 'uha lahi faka'ulia ko eni ne toki 'osi ke fai ange ha tokoni, kuo tu'u hake e primary minister ia 'o uki 'ene fu'u talanga fakafonua kihe taumu'a 'o hono fokotu'u e Letio Tonga, pea kau atu koaa ai 'ae "koe Tonga fefe 'oku tau fiema'u". Kuo mahino e Tonga ia 'oku tau fiema'u - Tonga without patoa and 'akili and his cronies. Ka 'oku fakaloloma ange hono fakali'eli'aki e kakai e fonua 'oku nau faingata'a'ia.
Kaekehe, 'oku fa'a mahe'a hake e ngaahi komeni, sai 'auptio ke nau sio kiai ho ko nautolu na'a nau toe tu'umu'a hono fili mai e pule'anga kovi ko eni. -
BRAVO KALAFI MOALA...TELLING IT LIKE IT IS...
I second your frustration in the local media with the Akilisi Pohiva Government during the past 3 years.. I further testify to the media corps’ battle with an ill-informed government hell bend on manipulating the media to favour their propaganda agenda.
As the Elder Statesman of our Media Council, you correctly pinpointed government stonewalling tactics, demotion of experienced journalists at TBC, and playing journalists for fools by the PM himself. They are reflections of his deceptive child-game with the people. Akilisi Pohiva is playing the people for fools as well.
But the old adage is coming around to remind us: “He can fool most of the people most of the time, but he cannot fool all the people all the time.”