Press Freedom in the Pacific - a loose concept

all the news that's fit to broadcast in Samoa appears to be only the good news. Stories about political corruption don't fit the bill, it seems.

RNZI
Wed, 6 Jun 2007
APIA, Samoa ------ The owner of Radio Polynesia in Samoa denies that he is suppressing media freedom, Radio New Zealand International reports

Maposua Rudolf Keil has defended his decision to stop two of his journalists from attending media conferences given by the leader of the Samoa Democratic United Party (SDUP) Asiata Sale’imoa Va’ai.

He has also banned on the station further stories with corruption allegations by the SDUP leader against the government.

The Journalists Association of Samoa has issued a statement condemning the ban and calling for journalists to be given the freedom to report as they see fit.
But Mr Maposua said he doesn’t want his station airing allegations like Mr Asiata’s which he said are unproven.

“Well he can use his freedom of the press anywhere else but my radio station because I don’t want to be a party to something that may be false. Let the other radio stations, TV and newspapers report on the bad things. Why don’t we report the nice things that these people are doing?"