The Media Industry Development Authority of Fiji (MIDA) was an independent statutory body that regulated mass media in

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

. The Authority was established in June 2010 by the Fijian government under the Media Industry Development Decree 2010. It enforces

media ethics Media ethics is the subdivision of applied ethics dealing with the specific ethical principles and standards of media, including broadcast media, film, theatre, the arts, print media and the internet. The field covers many varied and highly contro ...

which governs all media organizations in Fiji as well as regulating media content and implementing rules on

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. In April 2023, the

coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...

led by Prime Minister

Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka (; born 13 September 1948) is a Fijian politician, sportsman, and former soldier who has been serving as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was de ...

voted to repeal the authority. The Authority consisted of a chairperson and five members which included the Solicitor-General as well as four others representing the public, one representing consumers, one representing women, one representing children and a journalist representing the media industry. All members including the chairperson are appointed by the

Attorney-General of Fiji The Attorney-General is a political and legal officer in Fiji. The attorney-general is the chief law officer of the State, and has responsibility for supervising Fijian law and advising the government on legal matters. Like other members of th ...

and serves for 3 years.

Functions

The Authority's functions include: * to encourage, promote and facilitate the development of media organisations and media services in Fiji * to advise and make recommendations to the Minister on matters, measures and regulations related to or connected with the media * to facilitate the provision of a quality range of media services in Fiji which serves the national interest * to ensure that media services in Fiji are maintained at a high standard in all respects and, in particular, in respect of the quality, balance, fair judgment and range of subject-matter of their content * to ensure that nothing is included in the content of any media service which is against public interest or order, or national interest, or which offends against good taste or decency and creates communal discord * to promote local content in print and broadcast media * to perform such other matters as the Authority may determine to be in the interests of the media and in furtherance of the objects of this Decree.

Criticism

Since its establishment, the Authority has been subject to criticisms by opposition parties and prompted concerns from civil organizations. After the

2014 Fijian general election General elections were held in Fiji on 17 September 2014 to select the 50 members of Parliament.

, the Multinational Observer Group in a report urged the Authority to review its penalties for ethical breaches and reiterated the need for an independent institution to monitor the Authority's actions. In 2017, Fiji was ranked 67 out of 180 countries in the

Press Freedom Index The World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) is an annual ranking of Country, countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) since 2002 based upon the non-governmental organization's own assessment of the countries' Freedom of the ...

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; ; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation, non-governmental organization headquartered in Paris, which focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its a ...

claiming that the media in Fiji is still restricted by the Authority. On 20 June 2019, members of the opposition proposed the removal of the Authority, however the motion was defeated in Parliament. The Fijian Media Association in May 2022 called on the government to examine the "harsh penalties" imposed by the Authority describing it "too excessive and designed to be vindictive and punish the media rather that encourage better reporting standards and be corrective."

References

{{Government agencies of Fiji

External links

Official website

Media Industry Development Decree 2010
Communications authorities 2010 establishments in Fiji 2023 disestablishments in Fiji Government agencies disestablished in 2023 Government agencies established in 2010 Government agencies of Fiji Communications in Fiji