Media Council of Papua New Guinea

This follows the injuring of a broadcast journalist and her cameraman by a stray bullet fired during an eviction exercise at 9-mile in Port Moresby on Wednesday.

The bullet grazed the camera operator, and entered into the right forearm of the female journalist.

Both were part of a media contingent attending a PNG Power event at the Edevu Hydro Dam. the event included a tour to Moitaka Power Plant where the incident occurred.

Both were taken to hospital for treatment.

The MCPNG is referring to the assault of Post Courier’s Lae-based Journalist, Frankiy Kapin, by officers of the Governor for Morobe.

In a statement today the council highlighted that for the officers of a provincial governor to intimidate and assault a single Papua New Guinean journalist on unfounded allegations of bias, is a shame to the public office to which they report.

While the Council respected the wishes of her immediate family to proceed with her burial, it acknowledges that the pain that Late Rosalyn had to endure is no longer just hers, and a pain that many more women in the country may be going through every day.

“To the media fraternity, the call for justice is no longer Rosalyn’s alone. It has happened to one of our own, and it is time to acknowledge, that it needs to stop,” says the Council.

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.

Communications Minister Jimmy Miringtoro announced plans by the Government to establish the tribunal to address what he described as “deliberate misinformation, spreading of falsities and malice” on social and mainstream media.

He said the proposed tribunal will be run by “professional and neutral” people and will report to the National Parliament.

But the council, in a statement issued today, said the Government was setting a dangerous precedent which could see politicians – through the National Parliament – determine and influence news content in PNG.