Journalist educators have much in common with Caesar’s wife. They not only have to be above reproach but be seen to be above reproach. Anything less and these pillars of journalistic propriety can crumble in an instant, exposed in the eyes of their students and the wider community as emperors with no clothes. They need to live up to the high standards they preach themselves about journalistic ethics lest they be accused of pharisaic hypocrisy.
Rule Number One: Thou shalt declare any benefit – financial or otherwise –received for services rendered to a commercial entity and especially using the name of a publicly-funded institution that employs you. Rule Number Two : Thou shalt avoid any conflict of interest, or appearance thereof, in the conduct of one’s duties on behalf of a publicly funded institution that employs you.
Pretty straightforward, you’d think. Which is why Dr Marc Edge, the head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific, needs to explain an article in the Fiji Times earlier this year in which he spruiked the benefits of a Suva apartment complex in which he lives.
Dr Edge has been much in the news in Fiji lately talking about journalistic standards. First, he flayed PINA, the umbrella organisation for the Pacific media, for allegedly “keeping a lid on dissention” about media freedom in Fiji at its recent 2012 summit. Then he flayed the former editor of the Fiji Post, Thakur Ranjit Singh, for what he alleged was an “insulting” article questioning Dr Edge’s own notion of media freedom in the Fiji context. Now he’s being flayed back by his opposite number at Auckland’s University of Technology, Professor David Robie, who’s accused Dr Edge of casting a slur on the integrity of the AUT in awarding Mr Singh a masters degree. As we said, Dr Edge is much in the news.
But what is his idea of news? In an article in the Fiji Times at the weekend, Dr Edge made a impassioned plea for journalists in Fiji to press for as much media freedom as possible. He specifically called for the rejection what he portrayed as an attempt to impose a Singapore model on Fiji in which the media is tightly controlled. All well and good except for the fact that in one glaring instance, Dr Edge has been party to an exercise in “journalism” that would make even the most authoritarian Singaporean cringe.
Here’s what appeared in the venerable Fiji Times – the oldest newspaper in Fiji – just over three months ago:
IT’S THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN TOWN
Verenaisi Raicola
Friday, January 27, 2012
(Professor Marc Edge recommends tenants to move into the Suva Point Apartments as it has excellent accommodation standards and everything is first class. Picture: AJESH SAGAR)
Professor Marc Edge the head of Journalism at USP’s School of Language, Arts and Media just moved in a week ago and couldn’t be happier with the locality as well as the standard of the Suva Point Apartments he now calls home.
He stayed at the USP Marine Lodge and noticed the complex was under construction and later enquired about it last year.
Mr Edge then managed to get in touch with the landlord Sheren Kumar through a golfing buddy. Sheren gave Mr Edge a tour of the apartments which he absolutely fell in love with and was determined to reside in.
He returned home to Canada for holidays though and when Rup Investments Ltd had their open home on Sunday he was the first tenant that signed up and the rest is history. Mr Edge says the apartments are very nice, spacious and modern with all facilities needed for a modern person.
“I looked at many places but this by far is the best I have seen,” he happily told The Fiji Times in an interview this week. “It’s equivalent to where I come from everything is first class.
“I highly recommend this place for any new staff at USP. “It’s only 15 minutes walk to upper campus and closer to lower campus,” he said. Appliances are modern, everything you could dream of in a modern world, Mr Edge said of the Suva Point Apartments. He feels it’s the best accommodation in town.
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Oh really? By any reasonable appraisal, this is not a news story but an advertorial, a clear promotion of the Suva Point Apartments with a view to getting more tenants based on Dr Edge “falling in love” with it himself. Why did the Fiji Times run it as a news story? That is a question for its editor, Fred Wesley. But as head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific, Dr Edge needs to answer a few questions of his own.
1/ Why did he agree to be interviewed for this blatant advertisement masquerading as a news story?
2/ What benefit, if any, did he derive from the owners or managers of the Suva Point Apartments – or the Fiji Times reporter, for that matter – for this glowing endorsement?
3/ Does he regard this as a genuine news story of a kind that the students under his tutelage ought to pursue when they enter the workforce?
4/ If not, what steps did Dr Edge take to protest about or distance himself from this blatant advertorial?
In Grubsheet’s view, these are questions that go to the heart of Dr Edge’s credibility to teach the craft of journalism to a new generation of media practitioners charged with the task of informing the populations of Fiji and the other island states represented at USP. If he was duped into this blatant exercise in commercial promotion, he needs to say so. If he wasn’t, then he needs to explain why he lectures others about media standards when he condones the very lowest of standards – dressing up a blatant commercial plug as news. A journalist educator in a glass house throwing stones.
Dear Graham,
I promise I’ll never do it again. JUST PLEASE STOP. I will do everything the Pacific Way from now on, which from what I can tell involves threats, intimidation, and harassment. I will never ever talk to Bruce Hill again. I will never ever disagree with you again. I will take everything you say as the God’s truth. I’ll even let you choose the God. Oh, no I can just see tomorrow’s Grubsheet.
“Canadian-born Marc Edge, who teaches Western-style Conflict Journalism 101 at USP, appears to be a multitheist. Is this tye type of person we want teaching impressionable young Pacific Islanders. . . .”
Really, Graham, get a grip. You’ve got a screw loose, mate.
I’d be more impressed, Marc, if you addressed the legitimate issues raised here rather than resort to insults. You say I have a screw loose. I say you appear to have been party to a grubby exercise that owes nothing to journalism and everything to promoting a commercial enterprise.
The notion that you are being threatened, intimidated and harassed is ludicrous. You are being challenged to reveal what, if anything, you received in return for this blatant commercial plug using your position as a senior USP academic.
The record clearly shows that it is you who has launched attacks on others – the PINA leadership, Thakur Ranjit Singh and David Robie. Now you are attacking me, presumably on the age-old premise that attack is the best form of defence.
You evidently see nothing wrong with the Fiji Times article in which you appeared or you would have at least attempted to provide some explanation. You haven’t and that is your choice. But it’s not me who needs to “get a grip” or has a “screw loose”.
As a coauthor of the revised Australian Journalists Code of Ethics, I don’t need lectures from you about correct behaviour. But you don’t have to answer to me. You have to answer to your students and your university.
This reminds me of an interview that took place in March. This love in (The technical term for Singaporean style journalism government interviews) took place in Fiji. Bainimarama the dictator was interviewed by the gushing Graham Davis.
Leading media expert Lunchtime O’Booze described it as the finest example of a Hello magazine style interview he had seen since the tear jerker interview with Princess Diana.
“The interviewer spent the whole 30 minutes gazing lovingly into the eyes of the only dictator in the South Pacific. Every question was skillfully judged to show Bainimarama in the best possible light.”
“Davis was in excellent form” went on Lunchtime, “It was a truly well crafted display, you could see the care with which Davis discarded all difficult questions in favor of the softest of questions. All journalism students should study this interview very carefully, if they follow Graham’s example they will be able to have a long and happy career writing for the Fiji Sun as a dictator’s propagandist.”
“Before I finish I want to highlight some of the quality Peace journalism style questions Davis asked in favor of the more ill mannered western style question.
Davis asked
“You and he are much more likely to get on, aren’t you? I mean he’s a sportsman”
Davis did not ask
“Can you tell us why you allow the soldiers you command to beat up unarmed civilians?”
Davis asked
“He’s a boxing champion, you like that?”
Davis did not ask
“Why is the economy of Fiji smaller than it was in 2006, 6 years after when you took over the country at gunpoint?”
Graham even had time to ask the dictator about his latest holiday
“Last year you went to Connecticut, you went to Florida, you even visited the Gibson Guitar Factory in Nashville.”
But he could not bring himself to ask
“Why are you intent on removing the basic rights of the workers of Fiji?”
“It is this skill which has made Davis the biggest suck up in the history of South Pacific journalism and I, Lunchtime O’Booze salute Davis and his integrity.”
Very droll. I’m glad you enjoyed.
Dear Dinnertime O’ Boozer. Perhaps if you were sober you would understand how irrelevant your questions are. Perhaps GD might have asked these questions.
‘The economy appears to be booming, the Grand Pacific Hotel is undergoing millions of dollars of refurbishment, the new casino is underway, two new hotels have opened in Nadi, plans are underway for a new multiplex building in Suva, the Gibson Guitar factory has expanded and has announced it will open another outlet in the north thousands of jobs will be created and this is just a small example of the development in Fiji…. what do you believe is the driving factor in all of this?
In the rural areas your government has committed millions of dollars to electrification and water, villages who have been waiting for these services for the past 20 years have finally seen ‘the light’ will you continue to give access to remote areas in the coming years and how much will government invest?
I have spoken to many Fijians on my trip here, one of my concerns is that everyone I have spoken to does not want an election in 2014. They are afraid if you step down things will go back to how they were and the rural areas will be neglected, the chiefs will reap the benefits of the workers, the unions will put a strangle hold on the country, corruption will raise its ugly head, Indians will be marginalized, new laws that empower women will be taken away, you will only get a good paying job if you are related to the political party in power, the Methodists will hold their yearly meeting and rape the country of millions of dollars which will end up in the pockets of the SDL party and thugs like Dinnertime O Booze will still be writing for the Fiji Times and hiding behind a pseudonym etc etc . What are your comments on that?
We could go on for pages but I think you get the general drift!
@Journo
Believe it or not I give Graham a bit more credit than asking propaganda fueled questions with no merit.
You have a very funny idea of a booming economy: Rising Unemployment, Rising Inflation, Low Investment, No Growth, Increasing National Debt and a sugar industry that has been destroyed under the guidance of your beloved Minister of Sugar. Let’s just see how many jobs are actually created by the much vaunted new developments at the moment they are not creating enough to cover those being lost.
As for no one wanting elections you obviously think Graham only mixes in an exclusive group of the Military Council. Everyone I know wants elections. They fear though that they will be free and fair. According to the Lowy poll only 25% wanted a non democratic Government and over 50% want a democratic government. That means double the number of people want elections to those who don’t.
Frank does have a policy of putting in infrastructure and it is much publicized and provides many great photo ops for our Dear Leader. But at the same time he has made many promises to rural areas and not delivered. Do you remember his much vaunted trip to Lau last year. He promised development work worth over $8m to that province. To date 10 months on he has delivered less than $2m.
I would say that is about right, our Great Leader and beloved dictator probably makes good on one quarter of his promises.
As for you comments about jobs for the boys. Well Frank has a fine record of nepotism. Just look at his daughter at the Sports council, his brother a high commissioner and his brother in law got both a get out of jail free card and plum job as a permanent secretary. Every one of your allegations you make about how terrible life was prior to the 2006 can be made against the current regime. It may not be unions or the church, but it is soldiers and mates of the dictator who are destroying the country.
I will be the first to admit that life under Qarase was far from perfect. But please why do all you Junta supporters believe highlighting Qarase’s wrongs excuse Bainimarama’s abuses.
I was all ready to shoot this comment down but then saw the ‘Lau’ comment and thought why waste my time replying to your personal agenda. Go drink more booze or better still stop drinking so much booze and sober up and stop waiting for government handouts.
@Journo
The only thing you would shoot would be your own foot.
With regards to Lau it is just top of my mind because I met with the Roko last week and he was bemoaning the shortfall. I have no agenda.
Actually not true I do have an agenda. To highlight the lies and hypocrisy of the regime and their supporters.
And Journo, you are a prime example of the unthinking nitwits who trot out the party line with your no one wants an election and Fiji is booming bull****.
Can we at least agree on what to have for lunch?
One thing’s for certain, Mel. It won’t be humble pie.
article says more about this little person graham davies than dr mark edge..graham doesn’t like mark’s views so he goes out and digs dirt on the poor dr..what gutter journalism, what a spiteful and vindictive little man, what a poor lowlife fat sod, what a pathetic human being..what does apartments have to do with journalism models?
you go dr edge..
Dear Terry. Suggest you study journalism then you might understand the implications of such a story, actually suggest you study the law in general. throwing petty insults is like water of a ducks back in this argument. Attack the argument not the person. Have another go.
graham’s spiel (up there) is a personal attack..i suggest you take a simple course in human nature..
Thanks everyone for your comments. Let’s get back to GD’s article, Marc Edge we need a reply…Be a Man
Mark,
We’re waiting and its been 24 hrs and no response as yet. Thinking of a spin!!! Can’t think of one!! Fiji anti corruprion unit will be after you!! Here’s an idea, you might want to get in touch of your fan club in Samoa. And you thought you were untouchble, right. Well here’s news for you….continue watching this space…watch for Terrior. Ok here’s a bit of hint…so you sailed in the Pacific and came across an island called Tonga and you decided to change a bit of things here in the Pacific because you did not like what you saw in Tonga….really and you tought journalism in some place in Singapore and you don’t like the way media is kept in check for balanced reporting in that country…but you chose not to “fight” for media “freedom” in that country!! but rather go for a “cruise” in your yacht in the Pacific…and the rest is …..wait for Terrior.
get over Dr. Marc Edge people.. Davis is taking things personally.
how more cheap can people get.. the article came on january 27th. and look at davis…conflicting about it 4 months later.. i think there is something called “timeliness”
Really mate….cheap. Ok so you could be Mark Edge by another name or maybe birds of a feather…u know that. So what if the article appeared in January, the fact remains that he is on the public payroll and he needs to answer the questions raised by Graham Davis. Cheap or pathetic, I will come to that later but we need Dr Mark Edge (aka JNS) to answer. Be damned if its personal…so what.
For the record, I have no personal gripe with Marc Edge beyond expressing my dismay over him casting the recent PINA summit in the way he did a month after the event. Indeed, we have always had a cordial relationship since I first met him at the inaugural Fiji Writers Festival last year, shortly after he arrived in the country.
Also for the record, I stumbled across the Fiji Times article while searching the public record for information on Dr Edge’s time in Fiji. I didn’t have to stumble far because it comes up on the first page of any Google search on him.
In any other country, a journalist educator appearing in an obvious “advertorial” would attract media interest and demands for an explanation. It would certainly be the case in Australia, where the ABC program Media Watch routinely deals with such issues.
Dr Edge has declined to give an explanation, instead accusing me on having a “screw loose”. Do you think that’s where the matter should rest JNS? Because I don’t and neither, clearly, does “Terrior”. It’s not a personal vendetta but an important issue of principle that someone whose task is to teach and uphold media standards ought to at least explain.
People new to Fiji and the Pacific, especially from the first world, tend to underestimate us. They think they can get away with certain behaviours here, such as spruiking (touting), because we are ignorant. For example, journalism educators in Canada or Australia wouldn’t dare appear in advertorials in their home countries. It would destroy their reputation. But perhaps they think they could get away with it in Fiji.
It is the job of any good journalist to expose hypocrisy. This was a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black, with the media educator concerned attacking the academic integrity and ethics of others. Graham Davis did well to bring this issue to our attention. He is doing what comes naturally to him as a good journalist. We have all learnt something, and are the wiser for it.
Most weeks the Fiji Sun publishes some advertorial for dictatorship written by Graham Davis. But every now and then Graham struggles to find something good to write about the Bainimarama Junta.
So instead of an advertorial we get an attack on someone who has the temerity to have a different point of view to the Dictator. Up until January Davis the fearless warrior writing his version of the truth was in the easy position of never being challenged with his accusations because of censorship.
It could be a chief, a politician, a priest, an educator, a foreigner a businessman. Davis does not care, but they all have a different point of view to Bainimarama and so Davis goes onto the attack to try and put them back in their place.
Not only do the pro-democracy movement have to fear a trip up to Queen Elizabeth Barracks but they can look forward for their name and reputation to be trashed by Davis.
I have never met Dr Edge, but I feel for him. Inadvertently he has made an enemy of Bainimarama’s friend and media henchman, who is going all out to belittle him and his valid viewpoint.
We have seen the dissent amongst the media fraternity only all too clearly on Grubsheet. Lisa Williams-Lahari has said that she felt unable to always give voice to her opinions. The lid was kept on dissent at the PINA conference. But Davis, because he was losing the argument, has had to get personal to divert the attention.
Davis, Smith Johns and Qorvis all writing together in perfect harmony to build a better dictatorship.
hey “Terrior” where did Marc Edge come from?? im not anywhere close to him. well davis, Marc was not accusing you. i think he was just saying that in ignorance, “”like “screw you” i have better things to do”” or something like that.
well “Terrior” if you people really have so much against him, why don’t you just (whatever university he is in) remove him from his position. why don’t you just ask graham davis to take up his position instead and correct whatever is going in the pacific media.
Remove him from his position and replace him …you’re joking right. Does it really work that way. Nobody says that we dislike him but we have the right to question him on his ethics. Its as simple as that. A man is judged by his deeds..thats all. Why is he silent now and uses an excuse that he has got better things to do. Has he been caught out? Is it ethical to promote a product/company whilst on public purse and if he benefitted from it. Why is it so hard for him to answer that. Removing him is not the question now. I’m worried about the standards he is going to set for his students. We will continue to question whether it is liked in this forum or not.
Dear Mark,
We miss you very much.
I hope you haven’t got lost on your afternoon walks along the sea wall route that you once famously took. I know that was your walk to destiny and hope all is well with you.
Oh, how I recall the wonderful journey of yours in your yacht and landing in a place called Tonga but that wasn’t to be your destiny.
All we now have is a picture of you sitting in the beautiful unit of yours. In case you have new neighbours, but please do not forget us.
A note to any one of us on this site will be appreciated. Kindly missed.
Pssst…hellow
Marc Edge
“Cash for Comment” ?? in the style of Alan Jones and John ‘whats his name’ Laws.
Marc you were endorsing a product in the guise of news?
What do your students think?
i think Dr Rajesh Chandra should take a hard look at you.