Media finding ‘all bark and no bite’

SUVA – A member of Fiji’s opposition Sodelpa party has welcomed a finding by the Media Industry Development Authority against the Fiji Sun newspaper, but says it’s toothless.

Peter Waqavonovono complained to MIDA after reading an article by Jyoti Pratibha that said he needed to shave and buy deodorant.

He also complained about another article that accused opposition parties of being racist and divisive.

MIDA’s chairman, Ashwin Raj, has ruled the article about the opposition parties was antagonistic, thoroughly yoked in the logic of race and bereft of facts, while the article about Waqavonovono was defamatory and incriminating in nature.

Waqavonovono says while the ruling is welcome, it demands nothing from the Fiji Sun.

“I think that everybody’s jumping up and down over a letter that doesn’t have a real bite.

“It’s just a letter that basically calls the Fiji Sun out and I really want more action in this area. And once again this proves that we need a lot of change.”