Alexander Rheeney

President of the PNG Media Council, Alexander Rheeney, made this comment at the launch of the report this week.

He assisted Transparency International compile the report, as a private citizen, and said the media failed to hold leaders accountable for the outstanding issues, simply by failing to do follow up stories.

The review of 20 cases spans from 2007 to 2017, covering both the Somare and O’Neill regime.

The Council, in its last meeting last Friday before its AGM next month, agreed that legal opinion should be sought on the impact that the August 2016 legislation will have on the ability of ordinary Papua New Guineans to express themselves through various communication platforms, and whether the law hinders the ability of the PNG media to report without fear or favour.

Sections 10 (on data espionage), 21 (defamatory publication), 25

The General Code of Ethics for the news media was reviewed and updated by the Australian Press Council in October last year after the MCPNG approached and asked for their assistance, due to the growth of the PNG media industry and the arrival of social media and online news services.

The MCPNG board met and agreed to give the revised edition of the code its stamp of approval in December last year and distribute it to all media personnel on the eve of Papua New Guinea’s 2017 general election. 

“Is your content empowering or disempowering Papua New Guineans?” asked Council president Alexander Rheeney.

“If your content is not empowering Papua New Guineans then sorry, you have no business in the media industry.”

Speaking during the recent Yumi-Olgeta media get-together, Rheeney highlighted the disappointing, continuous drop in media standards in the country.

“Individual media organisations need to address the situation in their own newsrooms because at the end of the day, your content is disempowering Papua New Guineans.”

This has compelled journalists and news editors to self-censor news and consequently deny Papua New Guinean readers and viewers access to factual, balanced, impartial and objective reporting.  

Council president Alexander Rheeney said: “Last year had its challenges for media industry personnel and the first four months of this year appear to be no different to 2016, with news organisations alerting the MCPNG to two incidents of interference by those in authority.

Counting down to his retirement as the East Sepik Provincial MP after close to 50 years, the country’s longest serving politician will take the podium on April 10 in a special presentation that will feature a limited number of journalists and be broadcast on NBC radio and television.

First elected to the House of Assembly in 1968 representing the East Sepik regional seat, Sir Michael championed the push to self-government and independence as the parliamentary leader of Pangu Pati and became the country’s founding PM upon independence from Australia on September 16, 1975.

The popular FM100 talkback show host passed on late Saturday night at Iare village, in the Kairuku-Hiri District, Central Province.

The show is the country’s longest running radio talkback program with the late Hau’ofa its host for close to 30 years.

Expressing sadness at his passing, MCPNG president Alexander Rheeney said his death is a blow to broadcasting in PNG and robs radio listeners throughout the country of a talk-show host, who knew the issues affecting citizens and held leaders to account on air.

In a fully packed conference room at Lamana Hotel, expatriates, business executives and media personnel gathered to ask the Prime Minister regarding issues affecting the lives of people in the country.

Chaired by the Media Council President Alexander Rheeney, the National Press Club conference room was filled with a mixture of experts including Institute of National Affairs Director Paul Barker and other business executive  in the likes of SP Brewer Managing Director Stan Joyce and others.

Media organisations filled the Working Press Table.

President of the PNG Media Council Alexander Rheeney challenged 15 journalists from various media newsrooms in Port Moresby including one from Loop PNG who underwent the Thomson Reuters journalist training.

Speaking during the presentation of certificates to journalists on Friday afternoon in Port Moresby, Rheeney thanked the United Nations for funding the training as well as the trainers who ran the week-long Reuters foundation course.