20 Nov 2007

Tonga to get guidelines to lift ban on political reporting

1:46 pm on 20 November 2007

A new government guideline will be written on how Tongan Broadcasting Commission staff should present the news, so a ban on political reporting can be lifted.

The Minister of Information, Afu'alo Matoto, says the ban, which has been in place since June, is because the board of the TBC was not happy with the quality of reporting.

Mr Matoto says the guidelines could cover the content of programmes, and the conduct of people appearing, but that still needs to be worked out.

He says he is trying to educate the Government to have a better relationship with the media.

"Of course they are friendly towards the media, but when the media starts to criticise them and be unfriendly to them then they become unfriendly too, to the media. But there should be a middle course where everyone should be able to have a friendly relationship."

Afu'alo Matoto would like to see it happening early next year, but it still needs to be worked on.