Journalism is an honorable profession and thrives in democracies that champion media freedom and free speech.
Papua New Guinea has been a vibrant democracy for almost 50 years and can be justly proud of its record in upholding the principles of media freedom and free speech, which are enshrined in the Constitution.
Privately owned media organisations in PNG operate almost freely as long as they abide by the laws and regulations that govern their entre preneurial existence. Their journalists and media personnel enjoy certain rights and freedoms that their colleagues in State owned media do not have and often yearn for.
The two major daily newspapers, Post-Courier and The National, as well as the smaller weeklies, Sunday Bulletin and Sunday Chronicle, are privately owned. PNG FM Group and Digicel TV are also private businesses.
State owned and controlled media include the largest nationwide NBC Radio and NBC TV networks while EMTV and Kalang Advertising (FM100) come under the ambit of the Government’s telecommunications company, Telikom PNG Limited.
Interestingly, the Government employs more mainstream journalists and media personnel through NBC, EMTV and FM100 than privately-owned media companies. This has been the trend since 1975 and is unlikely to change in the fore seeable future.
A major contributing factor to this trend is the very limited opportunities within the private media space, which is causing budding journalists, including journalism graduates, to seek employment with the Government and private corporations.
Unlike private media organisations, the Government has its rules of engagement for journalists and media personnel employed by State owned entities. Basically, they are free to practice their trade as long as they don’t rock the political boat.
Non-adherence to these rules led to the wholesale sacking of journalists and media personnel by EMTV last year. Popular FM100 Talkback host Culligan Tanda suffered the same fate earlier this year.
The Marape-Rosso Government was unperturbed by the widespread condemnation of Tanda’s sacking amid grave concerns about media freedom in PNG. Meanwhile, NBC and Telikom continue to treat their journalists and media personnel as glorified government PR officers.
The bottom line is that PNG Government owned and controlled media is no place for serious journal ism, which is the hallmark of a free and independent media.