The Post-Courier and media advocacy: A new era for Papua New Guinean journalism?

The Papua New Guinea media is often described as ‘free’ and ‘vibrant’ compared to other media in developing countries in the region. The style of journalism and the news values are based on the Western model familiar in developed countries, where objectivity is one of the conventions of  journalism practice. This is a result of influence on the PNG media by Western news values through a history of ownership of the local media and training in journalism provided at the workplace and at journalism schools in PNG. However, the coverage of two major national issues by PNG’s national daily Post-Courier has signalled a shift in reportage style in PNG to one of advocacy journalism. The two major issues are the National Superannuation Fund of Papua New Guinea (NASFUND) corruption crisis and an anti-gun campaign. Although at present both issues have dropped out of the media, they have yet to reach satisfactory conclusions. The prosecution of people involved in the NASFUND mis-management is pending while the anti-gun campaign report has been tabled in Parliament, but nothing has been heard about it since. This article examines the role of the Post-Courierand its coverage of the two issues and why it chose to use advocacy style journalism for its coverage. The coverage has drawn criticism from sectors of society and other journalists. The article also examines the views of journalists in Papua New Guinea about the Post-Courier’s coverage and advocacy journalism

West Papua ‘independence’ and the Papua New Guinea press

This article explores the West Papua issue through the Papua New Guinea news media. It seeks to identify the reasons behind the decline in coverage of West Papua in the PNG press. It provides an historical background to the West Papua conflict and PNG’s relationship with Indonesian-ruled West Papua and it presents the results of a comparative content analysis of three PNG newspapers—Post-Courier, The National, and Times of Papua New Guinea—on their coverage of West Papua, in-depth interviews with journalists and West Papuan refugees in Papua New Guinea

The digital divide in Papua New Guinea: Implications for journalism education

Access to new technology and the development of the necessary skills to master them are crucial aspects when developing countries aim to play a more important role in the current information age and knowledge-based society. New technology and the internet have the potential to enhance access to information for people and to help countries such as Papua New Guinea become active producers of knowledge, shifting away from the traditional role of passive consumption. However, new technology also has the potential to increase already existing inequalities. In this regard, exploring the concrete shortcuts brought by the digital divide in PNG and trying to address them for journalism education is an imperative, so that journalists in the country can bridge this gap, raise their own voices and best contribute to the development of Papua New Guinean society

Old and New Media in the Pacific Islands : synergies, challenges and potential

The Pacific Islands region contains very diverse geographic, socio-cultural, political and communication ecologies. Each country has its own unique challenges and opportunities related to communication flows, systems and practices. With growing social media presence in the region, Facebook and, to some degree, Twitter have become sources of information for journalists during natural disasters. Recent studies though have indicated that ICTs are becoming more relevant, and indeed are underutilised for development despite presenting significant potential. Four case studies from the Pacific Cook Islands Tonga Fiji Papua New Guine

The Post-Courier and media advocacy: A new era for Papua New Guinean journalism?

The Papua New Guinea media is often described as ‘free’ and ‘vibrant’ compared to other media in developing countries in the region. The style of journalism and the news values are based on the Western model familiar in developed countries, where objectivity is one of the conventions of  journalism practice. This is a result of influence on the PNG media by Western news values through a history of ownership of the local media and training in journalism provided at the workplace and at journalism schools in PNG. However, the coverage of two major national issues by PNG’s national daily Post-Courier has signalled a shift in reportage style in PNG to one of advocacy journalism. The two major issues are the National Superannuation Fund of Papua New Guinea (NASFUND) corruption crisis and an anti-gun campaign. Although at present both issues have dropped out of the media, they have yet to reach satisfactory conclusions. The prosecution of people involved in the NASFUND mis-management is pending while the anti-gun campaign report has been tabled in Parliament, but nothing has been heard about it since. This article examines the role of the Post-Courierand its coverage of the two issues and why it chose to use advocacy style journalism for its coverage. The coverage has drawn criticism from sectors of society and other journalists. The article also examines the views of journalists in Papua New Guinea about the Post-Courier’s coverage and advocacy journalism.</jats:p

New Guinea: A divided island. Papua New Guinea’s relationship with West Papua

This paper gives an historical and current account of New Guinea, a Pacific Island divided between the independent state of Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian territory of West Papua and explores the ambiguous relationship between the two “brothers,” with a particular focus on media reporting. West Papua’s struggle for independence from Indonesia has gone largely unnoticed by the international media. It is sporadically covered by the neighbouring and regional media and this only in times of crisis such as refugees crossing borders, hostage taking and protests against the Freeport Mining Company that operates the world’s biggest gold deposit. There are currently 10,400 West Papuan refugees in PNG and although the country has shown solidarity to their “cultural brothers” in the past, current geopolitical tensions see Indonesia’s influence on PNG affecting that that solidarity. The paper is divided into two parts. The first part provides the island’s colonial history context and the role of the main colonial powers that led to the island’s division, along with the postcolonial and cold war legacies that sealed the fate of the island as a divided one. It also deals with the current geopolitical situation that involves the interests of Indonesia, PNG and Australia. In the second part the authors focus on the relationship between West Papua and PNG and how this is reflected particularly in the media. The decline in coverage of West Papua in the PNG press is worth exploring as it maps the decline of PNG’s engagement in the fate of their “cultural brothers” and neighbours (Matbob & Papoutsaki, 2006). They discuss a number of issues that have resulted from the islands division, including the issues of traditional cross-borders and the West Papua refugee camps/settlements in PNG. They also provide new evidence of increased cross border activities including trade and people flows that indicate the two parts of the island are communicating id different ways. The authors have interviewed a number of West Papua activists and Papua New Guinean journalists, conducted media content analysis of PNG newspapers and collected ethnographic data from the northern borders of PNG and West Papua

West Papua ‘independence’ and the Papua New Guinea press

This article explores the West Papua issue through the Papua New Guinea news media. It seeks to identify the reasons behind the decline in coverage of West Papua in the PNG press. It provides an historical background to the West Papua conflict and PNG’s relationship with Indonesian-ruled West Papua and it presents the results of a comparative content analysis of three PNG newspapers—Post-Courier, The National, and Times of Papua New Guinea—on their coverage of West Papua, in-depth interviews with journalists and West Papuan refugees in Papua New Guinea.</jats:p