Public confidence in Fiji’s mainstream media has eroded significantly, Associate Professor of Journalism Shailendra Singh told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) at its third expert hearing in Suva, describing a decline he traced to decades of political upheaval, censorship and institutional pressure.
Singh, who is contributing to the commission’s media chapter, told commissioners that repeated disruptions to the news environment — including the coups of 1987, 2000 and 2006 — have had long‑lasting effects on press freedom and public discourse. Drawing on more than 30 years’ experience, he outlined how newsrooms have faced closures, crippling financial strain and the loss of skilled journalists, undermining editorial independence and professional standards across the sector.
The expert witness described the ethical dilemmas reporters have been forced to navigate in highly polarised and threatening environments, leading to widespread self‑censorship and, at times, reporting that aligned uncritically with dominant political narratives. Those dynamics, he said, have helped create perceptions of bias and compliance that further erode trust in mainstream outlets — so much so that some segments of the public now even favour tighter media controls.
Singh singled out the period after the 2006 coup as particularly damaging, noting that it produced the most stringent controls on media practice, culminating in the Media Industry Development Act (MIDA) of 2010. Although MIDA was repealed in 2023, Singh warned the industry still grapples with the act’s legacy: weakened institutions, ongoing financial instability, shortages of experienced journalists and the continuing risk of renewed political interference.
He also pointed to the unintended consequences of constraining traditional media. Restrictions opened space for alternative platforms — blogs, social media and diaspora outlets — which expanded avenues for expression but also heightened concerns about misinformation and a lack of accountability. Those platforms, Singh said, have reshaped how Fijians get news but have not yet restored the professional practices and trust that mainstream journalism once enjoyed.
To address the decline, Singh urged the TRC and policymakers to support stronger legal protections for press freedom, establish independent regulatory mechanisms, invest in sustained professional training to raise standards, and promote media‑literacy programs so audiences can better evaluate information sources. His testimony forms part of the TRC’s effort to document the media’s role in Fiji’s recent history; the commission’s findings and recommendations could inform future reforms aimed at rebuilding trust and safeguarding press freedom.
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