The worst indictment of the Fijian media is the fact that the most comprehensive coverage of major individual stories is to be found not on local media outlets but on Radio New Zealand’s Pacific Service.
RNZ routinely covers stories that some Fijian media organisations ignore altogether, deep diving into detail that seems beyond the capacity of local journalists and providing the kind of coverage that any Fijian needs to properly understand what’s going on.
Two stories in the past 72 hours in particular give the lie to the boastful claims of the swinging dicks of the local media that they are finally free to report events now that the Coalition is in power and the hateful Bainimarama government is gone.
They are the disturbing Christopher Pryde saga and the equally disturbing sworn statement by Susana Vuniani of corruption within the ODPP and judiciary – both stories covered in depth by Grubsheet but major aspects of which have been completely ignored even by Fiji’s once traditional newspaper of record and “first draft of history” – the Fiji Times.
We’re republishing them here to make an important point – that Radio New Zealand is now a vital component of the Fijian media and cannot afford to be ignored, especially in the election lead-up, by anyone who wants to be properly informed. And that the claims of a “free media” in Fiji are arrant nonsense.
No-one in the mainstream media in Fiji has covered these stories as well as RNZ and particularly its specialist reporter on Fiji, Margot Staunton. It is she who deserves the next FAME Journalist of the Year Award, not the local poseurs who cry freedom but deliver selective reporting and bias.
Read on and decide for yourself.
And the explosive allegations of a conspiracy to throttle the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry made by Susana Vuniani and first exposed by Grubsheet.
For the record, Vuniani is correct in saying that she did not leak her affidavit to me.
In stark contrast with the Fijian media, Radio NZ has also interviewed Christopher Pryde and Susana Vuniani.
Click the following links to hear them speak on the daily Pacific Waves program:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/datelinepacific/2026/pacific-waves-24-july-2026
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/datelinepacific/2026/pacific-waves-22-july-2026
Fiji Times (Anish Chand) Fiji Village (Vijay Narayan) Mail TV boss (Ian Stanley Simpson) have received millions in Government Funding
They will not report anything to harm the government, they all busy covering Former Fiji First members court attendances.
I concur with Jaywant Singh on the Government funding to the Fiji Mainstream Media (MSM) is a point of contention because it affects their independence.
Like the the adage goes: ” Whoever pays the Piper, calls the tune!”
The Fiji Times is the publication I’ll single out here. It has long carried itself with an air of moral superiority, seemingly on the strength of its resistance to the Bainimarama government after 2006. Fair enough, that was an important chapter in its history. But how dramatically the tables appear to have turned.
Under Fred Wesley’s “stewardship”, the paper has, in my view, become a shadow of its former self. The fearless, independent voice it once claimed to embody now too often resembles a partisan newsletter, laden with government-friendly narratives and predictable talking points. Even the Sun might be forgiven for enjoying the irony.
What is equally striking is the paper’s apparent fascination with its own reflection. Letters praising the editor or his staff seem to find an unusually receptive audience, particularly when submitted by the same familiar correspondents who dominate the letters page day after day, recycling arguments and rehashing yesterday’s news. The usual suspects know who they are.
When self-congratulation becomes an editorial priority, serious journalism inevitably takes a back seat. The hunger for rigorous scrutiny, fresh reporting, and genuine public-interest journalism appears to have left the building some time ago.
What remains is a publication trading heavily on past glory while offering diminishing evidence of the standards that once earned it respect
Spot on. Vinaka.
The stupidity in the Fiji media was on display when Stanley Simpson was crowing about how Maitv was the only media that named Nouzab Fareed in the sexual harassment guilty verdict. All other media thought that there was name suppression and did not identify him in their reports.
I don’t know why Stanley was boasting. I am not a lawyer or journalist, but even I know that once someone has been found guilty, name suppression doesn’t make sense. In fact, I was surprised to learn that there was a name suppression during the trial. From what I understand, the name suppression is granted to the victim, not the accused and then the media can challenge suppression orders. Why didn’t media do that in this case? Are they stupid or what?
I suppose if they don’t even understand that there is no name suppression after someone has been sentenced, then they can’t be expected to challenge any such order. They are too dumb.
I am sure that most people in Fiji will agree with me that the two most pathetic professions in Fiji are journalists and lawyers. And politicians, of course.
The 3 professions listed are spectacularly overhauled by National Fiji Mens Rugby Head Coach – when the team loses abismally under the local coach. And then an overseas coach is deemed redeemer. Such is the national importance of this religion. But no overseas appointed DPP, must be a local and itaukei no matter what.
Such is the regard of this arm of the justice system.
Personally I switched off from Fiji news and this government when they gave away a tax holiday to an extractive industry. It doesn’t get more short sighted and disastrous than that. Utter failure in good governance for the ages and scream tinpot and sell out.
@tim the tax holiday for Fiji Water was orchestrated by Munro Leys lawyer Richard Naidu and NFP leader and sex pest Biman Prasad, who appointed Richard Naidu as chair of the fiscal review committee. This is what high-level corruption and patronage looks like.
They also arranged for the Fiji media to go on a junket to the Fiji Water headquarters in the United States led by the self appointed swinging dicks of Fiji media, Stanley Simpson, Vijay Narayan And Fred Wesley, who were bamboozled by the buffets, helicopter ride and other gifts. They shamelessly parade the farce on their social media platforms. That’s how f**ked up and imbecilic they are.
The seven year tax holiday represents the betrayal of resource owners and selling out of the national interest by Richard Naidu and Biman Prasad.
Unfortunately, our current Finance Minister is sleeping on the job and has done nothing to remove Richard Naidu as chair. He is another one who is letting down the indigenous people of Fiji.
And our clueless media went along for the ride and free food.
Richard’s firm also secured the Aspen hospital and FNPF contracts. In comparison our media were bought off of rather cheaply. That’s the state of affairs in the country. One of the biggest enemies of the people are the pathetic media and so-called journalists, who are actually free riders always looking for the next buffet.
Too right! And evidence of the freeloading largesse of the Fijian “media” is on display for all to see every time one of their lot goes on an overseas tour.
How much of their reporting centres around actual learnings and value adding, as opposed to food and the bright lights?