Commissioner of Police, David Manning, will discuss the safety of journalists in hostile situations, with the Media Council of Papua New Guinea (MCPNG).
He was responding to a statement made by the MCPNG calling for media personnel protection, following an incident in Moitaka where a cameraman and a journalist of the National Broadcasting Corporation were subject to a stray bullet. The bullet grazed the cameraman, but struck the journalist in the arm.
“The media are the public’s eyes and ears in our democracy, and there must be respect and protection for journalists to carry out their professional duties,” Manning said.
He said the incident occurred after criminal elements fired weapons wildly and police proceeded to bring the situation under control
“This is the unfortunate reality of the environment in which police operate after decades of neglect of our internal security services, but we are making changes to return the balance in the favour of law-abiding people,” he said.
The Commissioner said he agrees with the suggestion by the Media Council to engage with the RPNGC to develop measures to better ensure the safety of journalists.
“I would like police to work with the Media Council to establish better ways for the protection of the liberty and lives of media professionals,” he said.
“I look forward to meeting with representatives of the Media Council of Papua New Guinea to plan a way forward to better protect our media fraternity,” Manning said.
He said investigations are ongoing as to what occurred, and a statement will be released shortly.