2 Aug 2005

Kiribati officials scold media but aren't threatening restrictions

8:37 pm on 2 August 2005

The Kiribati government says its won't put restrictions on local media but it has called for more responsible reporting.

Radio Kiribati was given a warning after it reported the parliamentary speaker had used taxpayers money to bring his own driver on a trip to Taiwan.

The information minister, Natan Tewe, says the reports didn't give the government's side of the story, and the reporters were motivated by personal interests.

"They are not a nuisance if they report the facts, but they pick on certain things and keep on repeating it, trying to put that message across to the public, and that's unfair, it's one-sided reporting on their part. That's irresponsible. That's nuisance."

Mr Tewe says reporters shouldn't pick out parts of his statements they are interested in and leave the others, but quote him in full.