3 Jun 2014

Call for Kiribati journalist to be re-instated

12:08 pm on 3 June 2014

The Pacific media watchdog group, the Pacific Freedom Forum, says Kiribati's state broadcaster must uphold the media ethics and standards required by its public ownership.

This comes after the suspension of radio journalist Ueretan Bauro, because, the PFF says, he had given an opposition MP right of reply to allegations in the state newspaper.

The PFF says Radio Kiribati must reverse its curious decision to suspend Mr Bauro.

The PFF chair, Titi Gabi, says a journalist with more than a decade of experience in his field has been unfairly punished for seeking to balance and follow up on a story that was already in the public domain.

She says Kiribati's elected leaders need to remember media agencies funded by public money must serve the public interest.