The ''Vanuatu Daily Post'' is a newspaper published in
Port Vila
Port Vila ( ; ), or simply Vila (), is the capital of Vanuatu and its largest city. It is on the island of Efate, in Shefa Province.
The population was 49,034 as of the 2020 census. In 2020, the population of Port Vila formed 16.3% of the ...
in
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...
. It is the only daily newspaper in Vanuatu.
In 1993, British journalist Marc Neil-Jones acquired the rights to publish the periodical ''The Trading Post'' and used it as the foundation for creating the first professional newspaper in Vanuatu. The publication is issued in English. Initially, it was released weekly, and the company obtained its first independent funding by winning a tender to redesign the telephone directory.
Within the first year, circulation reached 2,000 copies, and the title began appearing twice a week. Since May 2003, it has been published as the ''Vanuatu Daily Post'' and operates as a daily newspaper.
The newspaper's founder,
Marc Neil-Jones
Marc Neil-Jones (14 October 1957 – 10 March 2025) was an English-born Vanuatuan journalist. A campaigner for freedom of the press, he was assaulted several times, as well as briefly deported and imprisoned. Radio New Zealand has described him ...
, had been the victim of physical attacks supported by government ministers during his time at the newspaper. He died March 10th 2025.
Work permit controversy
Dan McGarry, the newspaper's media director and a Canadian national, announced on 7 November 2019 that the Vanuatu government had refused to renew his work permit. McGarry stated that the 'overt reason' was that his role should have been 'localized' (filled by a Vanuatu citizen) but claimed that the 'real reason' was that the Daily Post's reporting had discomforted the government. He has appealed against the decision.
[
On 6 July 2019, the ''Daily Post'' published an article detailing the deportation of six Chinese nationals by the Vanuatuan government.][
McGarry, who has lived in Vanuatu for 16 years and whose spouse and children are from the country, stated that in July 2019, the Prime Minister Charlot Salwai berated him for what Salwai said was his 'negative' reporting and said 'If you don't like it here, go home'.][
Vanuatu's Media Association called on the government to reconsider and afford the correct legal rights to McGarry.]
References
Newspapers published in Vanuatu
Newspapers established in 1993
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