PNG media awards night ends in drunken brawl

THE Papua New Guinea Media Council Awards presentation turned into an all-in brawl between staff from two leading media organisations at the Hideaway Hotel Port Moresby last Saturday evening.

The fight between drunken staff of the Post-Courier newspaper and the National Broadcasting Corporation required hotel security to step in before things got out of hand.

It was reported by Australian Associated Press today and appeared on the online pages of leading newspapers such as The Australian, Brisbane Times, New Zealand Herald and Herald Sun.

It was also widely condemned by members of the PNG media fraternity today.

"It is embarrassing," one attendee told AAP.

"This stuff always happens at this end of year.

“Everything starts fine, but it all comes out with too much drink.

"It really is the silly season.

“Staff get drunk and then there will be a fight at the office Christmas party.

“All the simmering tensions erupt."

The evening, culminating what was an exciting week of presentations from notable speakers during the 2008 PNG media conference, started off with a sincere and insightful keynote address by US Ambassador to PNG Leslie Rowe.

Ambassador Rowe left two challenges with the media in PNG: to work together in greater partnership to extend coverage nationwide, which would set the foundation for the second challenge of doing more to get the message of HIV and AIDS to the rural majority, 50% of whom still lack access to media and information.

The fight came in the late proceedings after speeches on the importance of media freedom, responsibility and accuracy.

Ambassador Rowe and some other diplomats had already left before the incident occurred.

Remaining guests from the private sector, some diplomats and civil society had to leave in fear of being hurt.

A security guard said what was considered a successful night was dimmed by disrespectful conduct and the fight.

Respected PNG journalist Susuve Laumaea said: “This is an absolutely thankless, brainless, night of shame for those who got involved.

“I hope Madam Rowe, the US envoy and other VIPs did not get hurt.

“Sack the instigators and brawlers.”

President of the PNG Media Council Joe Kanekane has described the incident as “regrettable”.

“This isolated incident followed the successful media conference that culminated in the 2008 awards night,” he said yesterday.

“This particular episode has not in any way belittled the significance and the achievements of that particular week.

“I think those who were involved got a little too excited and it went a little too far.

“I’m aware that the individuals concerned and the organisations they work for are addressing this.”

Become an instant radio star on the Internet

Are you one of the many young Papua New Guineans who has always dreamed of having his or her own radio show?

Are you a recording artist hoping to have your songs heard by the masses?

In the old days, you would have needed to know a lot of people in the right places - or have lots of money - to get heard.

But now, thanks to the Internet and its instantaneous connection to millions of people, your dreams can become reality.

You can also create video Podcasts - also called videocasts, vidcasts and vodcasts - which combine the audio component of Podcasting with visual media.

Just as Blogging has enabled almost anyone with a computer to become a bona fide reporter, Podcasting allows virtually anyone with a computer to become a radio disc jockey, talk show host or recording artist.

Although Podcasting first found popularity within the techie set in developed countries of the world, it has since caught on with the general public.

Log on to one of several Podcast sites on the Web, and you can download content ranging from music to philosophy to sports.

Podcasting combines the freedom of Blogging with digital audio technology to create an almost endless supply of content.

Some say this new technology is democratising the once corporate-run world of radio.

Podcasting is a free service that allows Internet users to pull audio files (typically MP3s) from a Podcasting Web site to listen to on their computers or personal digital audio players.

The term comes from a combination of the words iPod (a personal digital audio player made by Apple) and broadcasting.

Even though the term is derived from the iPod, you don't need an iPod to listen to a Podcast.

You can use virtually any portable media player or your computer.

Unlike Internet radio, users don't have to "tune in" to a particular broadcast.

Instead, they download the Podcast on demand or subscribe via an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, which automatically downloads the Podcast to their computers.

The technology is similar to that used by TiVo, a personal video recorder that lets users set which programs they'd like to record and then automatically records those programs for later viewing.

Podcasting was developed in 2004 by former MTV video jockey Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer.

Curry wrote a program, called iPodder, which enabled him to automatically download Internet radio broadcasts to his iPod.

Several developers improved upon his idea, and Podcasting was officially born.

Curry now hosts a show called The Daily Source Code, one of the most popular Podcasts on the Internet.

Right now, Podcasting is free from government regulation.

Podcasters don't need to buy a license to broadcast their programming, as radio stations do, and they don't need to conform to the US Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) broadcast decency regulations.

That means anything goes - from four-letter words to sexually explicit content.

Copyright law does apply to Podcasting, though.

Podcasters can copyright or license their work - Creative Commons is just one online resource for copyrights and licenses.

Although several corporations and big broadcast companies have ventured into the medium, many Podcasters are amateurs broadcasting from home studios.

Because Podcasters don't rely on ratings as radio broadcasters do, the subject matter of Podcasts can range from the refined to the silly to the excruciatingly mundane.

Podcasters typically cater to a niche group of listeners.

By Podcasting consistently on one subject, Podcasters not only assert their expertise on the subject matter but also draw a loyal and devoted group of listeners.

Podcasts are also used for informational and educational purposes -- self-guided walking tours, talk shows and training are all available through podcasting, according to Podcasting Tools.

Several companies are trying to turn Podcasting into a profitable business.

It is very easy to listen to a Podcast.

Once you master a few simple steps and search techniques, there are virtually no limits to what you can hear.

Recording a Podcast is almost as easy as listening to one.

Here's how the process works:

·        Plug a microphone into your computer ;

·         Install an audio recorder for Windows, Mac or Linux (free software for audio recorders includes Audacity, Record for All and Easy Recorder V5);

·        Create an audio file by making a recording (you can talk, sing or record music) and saving it to your computer; and

·         Finally, upload the audio file to one of the Podcasting sites (FeedForAll has a tutorial on how to upload a file).

Some experts say Podcasting still has a long way to go before it catches on with the masses, but its growing popularity is undeniable.

It's possible that Podcasting will eventually become as popular as text blogging, which grew from a few thousand blogs in the late '90s to more than 7 million today.

Some Pod Casts are already providing thousand of downloads a day, and they're not just entertaining their listeners - they're also doing business.

 

Internet is the way to go for radio

We have recently been hearing a lot from our politicians about the development of radio and television stations, in an era when the Internet is now king

Our MPs should realise that computers take centre stage in the massive Information Revolution currently sweeping the globe.

In the near future, as wireless networking (Wifi) comes into play in Papua New Guinea, as in other countries, radio and television may become obsolete.

The newspaper you are reading may also follow the same trend because you don’t need to buy a newspaper when you can read it online.

Radio has played a pivotal role in our development, however, times are changing.

Internet radio is the latest technological innovation in radio broadcasting since the business began in the early 1920s.

Internet radio has been around since the late 1990s.

Traditional radio broadcasters have used the Internet to simulcast their programming.

But, Internet radio is undergoing a revolution that will expand its reach from your desktop computer to access broadcasts anywhere, anytime - and expand its programming from traditional broadcasters to individuals, organisations and government.

Radio broadcasting began in the early ‘20s, but it wasn’t until the introduction of the transistor radio in 1954 that radio became available in mobile situations.

Internet radio is in much the same place.

Until the 21st century, the only way to obtain radio broadcasts over the Internet was through your PC.

That will soon change, as wireless connectivity will feed Internet broadcasts to car radios, PDAs and cell phones.

The next generation of wireless devices will greatly expand the reach and convenience of Internet radio.

Traditional radio station broadcasts are limited by two factors:

The power of the station’s transmitter (typically 100 miles); and

The available broadcast spectrum (you might get a couple of dozen radio stations locally).

Internet radio has no geographic limitations, so a broadcaster in Wabag, Enga Province, can be heard in Japan on the Internet.

The potential for Internet radio is as vast as cyberspace itself (for example, Internet radio network Live365 offers more than 30,000 Internet radio broadcasts).

In comparison to traditional radio, Internet radio is not limited to audio.

An Internet radio broadcast can be accompanied by photos or graphics, text and links, as well as interactivity, such as message boards and chat rooms.

This advancement allows a listener to do more than listen.

The relationship between advertisers and consumers becomes more interactive and intimate on Internet radio broadcasts.

This expanded media capability could also be used in other ways.

For example, with Internet radio, you could conduct training or education and provide links to documents and payment options.

You could also have interactivity with the trainer or educator and other information on the Internet radio broadcast site.

Internet radio programming offers a wide spectrum of broadcast genres, particularly in music.

Broadcast radio is increasingly controlled by smaller numbers of media conglomerates.

In some ways, this has led to more mainstreaming of the programming on broadcast radio, as stations often try to reach the largest possible audience in order to charge the highest possible rates to advertisers.

Internet radio, on the other hand, offers the opportunity to expand the types of available programming.

The cost of getting “on the air” is less for an Internet broadcaster, and Internet radio can appeal to “micro-communities” of listeners focused on special music or interests.

What do you need to set up an Internet radio station?

• CD player;
• Ripper software (copies audio tracks from a CD onto a computer’s hard drive);
• Assorted recording and editing software;
• Microphones;
• Audio mixer;
• Outboard audio gear (equaliser, compressor, etc.);
• Digital audio card;
• Dedicated computer with encoder software; and
• Streaming media server.

Getting audio over the Internet is pretty simple:

The audio enters the Internet broadcaster’s encoding computer through a sound card.

The encoder system translates the audio from the sound card into streaming format.

The encoder samples the incoming audio and compresses the information so it can be sent over the Internet.

The compressed audio is sent to the server, which has a high bandwidth connection to the Internet.

The server sends the audio data stream over the Internet to the player software or plug-in on the listener’s computer.

The plug-in translates the audio data stream from the server and translates it into the sound heard by the listener.

There are two ways to deliver audio over the Internet: downloads or streaming media.

In downloads, an audio file is stored on the user’s computer.

Compressed formats like MP3 are the most popular form of audio downloads, but any type of audio file can be delivered through a Web or FTP site.

Streaming audio is not stored, but only played.

It is a continuous broadcast that works through three software packages: the encoder, the server and the player.

The encoder converts audio content into a streaming format, the server makes it available over the Internet and the player retrieves the content.

For a live broadcast, the encoder and streamer work together in real-time.

An audio feed runs to the sound card of a computer running the encoder software at the broadcast location and the stream is uploaded to the streaming server.

Since that requires a large amount of computing resources, the streaming server must be a dedicated server.

 

Iruupi villagers continue to suffer from river

The plight of Iruupi villagers in Western province, regarding their Kura River, continues to worsen by the day, according to villager Thomas Ame.

Mr Ame today showed pictures and video clips of villagers with rashes and sores on their bodies, dead fish, as well as food crops affected by the river.

A report by the division of health in Daru dated October 15,  confirms that the villagers are facing food problems as a direct result of the Kura River:

 

•           People were generally lost and wondering what was happening to their environment;

•           Their skin became itchy and swollen after entering the river;

•           Water samples were collected near upstream near a swamp, midstream close to Iruupi and  from Drageli village;

•           Fruit trees including coconut, pawpaw, banana and others were not bearing fruit while taro was not producing; and

•           Fish and other aquatic animals were continuing to die.

The report said people were moving away from the river as this phenomenon was destroying the livelihood they had enjoyed.

It added the problem was a kind of “complicated natural disaster” which nobody knew the cause of at this stage.

The report recommended that private scientific consultants be engaged to carry out studies;  Department of Environment and Conservation must closely monitor the situation;  provincial government and administration must support and fund a detailed study;  and proper and adequate sampling must be done to determine the physical, biological and chemical state of the river.

“Fish and other animals are continuing to die,” Mr Ame said.

“There is no food in the village because the food gardens are beside the river, and now, the villagers are making new gardens near the village.

“They get body pains when they touch the water in the river.

“Boils and rashes start appearing on their bodies

“People survive mainly through selling meat such as deer and wild pigs, and then using the money to buy food from the stores in Daru.

“People are surviving on sago and coconuts.

“People have put a stop to using the water from the river.

“They only use rain water these days.

“About half of the villagers are affected and the Fly River provincial government has taken so serious action to do something about this.”

In September, the villagers raised concerns in a letter to Governor Dr Bob Danaya, South Fly MP Sali Subam, and the Departments of Petroleum and Energy and Environment and Conservation about the increasing number of dead fish being found in the Kura.

At the beginning of October, after no response from relevant government authorities, the villagers again complained about dead fish and crocodiles, as well as birds, pigs, deer and wallaby.

Iruupi, south of Daru near the Torres Strait, is closer to Australia than the Western province capital.

 

FORUM SECRETARIAT SECRETARY GENERAL SIGNS REGIONAL STRATEGY PAPER AND REGIONAL INDICATIVE PROGRAMME

The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) Tuiloma Neroni Slade, and the European Commissioner for Development, Mr Louis Michel have signed documents formalising the Pacific Regional Strategy Paper (RSP) and the Regional Indicative Programme (RIP).  

The signing was done at a ceremony held in Strasbourg, France, during the European Development Day on 15th November 2008

The RSP and the RIP form the basis for co-operation between the Pacific ACP States (PACPS) and the European Commission for the period 2008-2013.

Prepared on the basis of intense consultations among regional stakeholders as well as between the PIFS and the European Commission (EC), the RSP identifies two focal sectors for co-operation:

(1) Regional Economic Integration; and

(2) Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and the Environment.

 A non-focal sector for organisational strengthening and civil society participation in the development process is also included in the RSP. 

An indicative allocation totalling €95 million has been made for assistance in the three areas, €45 million for the first focal sector, €40 million, for the second, and €10 million for the non-focal sector.  

Work has already begun on the preparation of projects in each area for 2009.

The intention is to identify two major projects for funding in the first two focal sectors: for the first sector, projects relating to economic integration and trade and human resources; and, for the second sector, projects in areas relating to sustainable management of both marine resources and land resources to cover both the fisheries and agricultural sectors.

Speaking at a round table meeting of representatives of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regional integration organisations and Commissioner Michel, organised by the EC and held immediately before the signing ceremony, Mr Slade, the Regional Authorising Officer for the RIP, expressed the region's appreciation for the assistance that had been provided in the past to the PACPS by the EC and the assistance that had been committed by the EC for the coming five-year period. 

Outlining the region's programme priorities under the Pacific Plan, the Forum Secretary General Mr Slade explained how the assistance from the EC would greatly facilitate efforts by the PACPS to deepen their own regional economic integration as well as to conclude an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union (EU) as a positive basis for strengthening relations between the region and the EU for many years to come.

For more information, contact Mr Jim Gosselin, the Forum Secretariat's Multilateral Trade Policy Adviser on email: jimg@forumsec.org.fj .

All-in brawl at Papua New Guinea media awards

Simmering tensions mixed with alcohol have been blamed for Papua New Guinea's media night of nights turning into an all-in brawl, Australian Associated Press reports.

The 2008 PNG Media Council awards ceremony on Saturday night erupted in a fight requiring Port Moresby hotel security to step in and pull apart scrapping guests.

The fight came late in the proceedings, after speeches on the importance of media freedom and accurate reporting.

Fighting between staff at PNG's Post-Courier newspaper, owned by News Limited, and colleagues from PNG's National Broadcasting Corporation marred what was generally considered a successful evening.

"It is embarrassing," one attendee said.

"This stuff always happens at this end of year. Everything starts fine, but it all comes out with too much drink.

"It really is the silly season. Staff get drunk and then there will be a fight at the office Christmas party. All the simmering tensions erupt."

The media awards night was the culmination of a week-long Media Council program to raise industry standards.

After calm was restored, the Media Council provided karaoke entertainment.

 

Making ICT more relevant and practical for SMEs in rural areas

Many development practitioners and researchers – including Papua New Guinea - have traditionally regarded the area of communication either as a technical field, or as a means of "delivering messages" and not so much as a tool for enterprise development.

Yet, these assumptions are increasingly questioned, as media and communication tools become more accessible to marginalised people, particularly those in micro and small enterprises in rural areas.

Rural areas such as Memyamya in Morobe province, Marawaka in Eastern Highlands province, Oksapmin in Sandaun province, Karimui in Chimbu province, Kaintiba in Gulf province, and the list goes on and on.

We have to find ways of making Information and Communications Technology (ICT) more relevant and practical for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas.

Information and Communications Technology can also be used as a powerful weapon in the battle against the scourge of HIV/AIDS that is sweeping the world, including Papua New Guinea, where it now threatens the very livelihood of our people.

Examples can be found in uses of participatory video, community radio, print media such as newspapers and magazines, theatre-for-development, music, Internet, community television, and mobile phones and many other various forms of media.

These are used all over Papua New Guinea but have not been harnessed as much as a tool for enterprise development.

The technology is already there to take Internet to the rural areas of our country, such as Very Short Aperture Terminal (VSATs), but for reasons known to themselves; those in authority seem to be working at a snail’s pace to let our rural areas see the light of ICT.

We have to make ICT affordable and accessible for our people or they will continue to remain in the dark.

All over this increasingly-globalised world, a massive Information Revolution is taking place as economies use ICT as a passport to what economists call the “New Economy”.

Papua New Guinea will continue to remain light years behind the rest of the world if we do not jump on the ICT bandwagon in this globalised world.

Success in this globalised world is predicated on ICT knowledge and successful knowledge-based economies will be based on the efficient and widespread use of ICT by all sectors within any given country.

On the other hand, an increasing number of development projects on promoting mass media for development, such as the International Labour Organisation’s Business Development Services (BDS) Zambia project, are beginning to demonstrate creative and innovative ways of unleashing the power of mass media for accelerating market information services and creating relevant and accessible social dialogue platforms for lobbying for enabling small business environments.

Leap-frogging technologies such as mobile Short Messaging Services (SMS) are enabling Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in rural areas to access market information and opportunities in real time.

We only need to look within our own country to see the massive improvements in accessing market information and opportunities in real time since the introduction of mobile phone competition through Digicel.

There are real life stories of farmers, fishermen, artisans, PMV owners, trade store operators and many more seeing marked improvements in developing markets through their mobile phones.

The days of yodelling over the mountaintops to broker barter of goods is long over and our rural areas must also reap the benefits of the massive Information Revolution that is sweeping the globe.

Journalists also have a very important role in disseminating information to the bulk of our people in the rural areas rather than the bread-and-butter “shock and horror” stories.

The BDS Zambia project has been facilitating the capacity building of mass media and target MSEs in a few ways:

 

* Building the capacity of media to deliver market information services that are relevant and practical to MSMEs in rural and urban communities;

 

* Training and sensitising journalists on role of media in promoting access to service and commodity markets, creating a business enabling environment and promoting an entrepreneurial culture;

 

* Promoting a community journalism culture among farming communities to talk back to the media and make their views on access to services, information, markets known. And in turn, promote sustainable social enterprises whose business models thrive on harnessing a market of satisfied audiences;

 

* Enhance their participation in social dialogue processes and bottom-up communication on issues that concern micro-enterprise and community development, particularly at local government level by empowering Micro Small Medium Enterprise (MSME) rural and urban business communities to support and work with media that addresses their specific needs;

 

* Helping people in small businesses on how to cope with AIDS through relevant and practical information materials such as the HIV and AIDS Handbook for Entrepreneurs in Zambia.

 

The project has produced short videos highlighting the lessons and experiences of the ILO Business Development Services project in Zambia, working with media to facilitate information services for micro and small enterprises in rural markets.

Perhaps Papua New Guinea can take a leaf out of Zambia’s book as we ponder the future of ICT in our beloved country.

Something to ponder over Christmas/New Year period as we wonder what benefits ICT will bring to us in 2009 and beyond.

 

Post-Courier scoops media awards and causes a drunken brawl!

I notice the Post-Courier came out big today, expect, extolling its own virtues about how good it was.
The fact of the matter is that they nominated themselves for the awards they and their reporters received.
The National could have beaten them any day, in any way, but nominations didn't go in as expected.
I am widely regarded as the best feature writer in the country but I don't go around boasting like some of these drunk Post-Courier journalists last Saturday evening at the Hideaway Hotel in Port Moresby.
Post-Courier journalists cannot behave themselves if their behaviour at the 2008 media awards last Saturday night were any indication.
They caused a big drunken brawl after scooping up the awards!
And don't forget that the Post-Courier is now history as The National is by far Papua New Guinea's leading daily newspaper!

Malum Nalu

Chinese 'living longer than ever'

By Michael Bristow

BBC News, Beijing 

 

A UN report on China says the lives of its people have been vastly improved over the last three decades, BBC News reports.

Poverty has fallen, adult literacy has climbed and Chinese people are now living longer than ever, it says.

But despite rapid economic progress, new problems have emerged, such as the gap between rich and poor.

The United National Development Programme (UNDP), which published the report, says these problems need urgent attention.

The report, entitled Basic Public Services for 1.3 Billion People, comes just weeks before China celebrates 30 years of economic reforms.

During this period, the Chinese government has largely ditched central planning in favour of the free market.

'Stunning achievements'

These reforms, started by the late, former leader Deng Xiaoping, have brought spectacular results, as the report makes clear.

"The speed, scope and magnitude of the improvements… rank among the most stunning achievements in the history of human development," says the UN's chief representative in China, Khalid Malik, in the report.

Between 1978 and 2007, rural poverty fell from 30.7% to just 1.6%, according to the UN.

But new problems have emerged, with not everyone benefiting equally from rapid economic expansion.

Rural areas lag behind urban areas, the east coast is richer that the western hinterland and there is a large wealth gap between different social groups.

Schoolchildren in the wealthy coastal city of Shanghai receive 10 times more funding than some rural pupils, the report says.

Rural registration

According to the UNDP, one problem is the Chinese system that requires all citizens to be registered in one particular place.

People usually receive welfare benefits in the area they are registered, which brings difficulties if they move.

This is a particular problem for the tens of millions of rural people who move to the cities to find work.

Chinese leaders have already acknowledged the existence of some of these problems, and have launched programmes to solve them.

The report makes it clear that the country now has the money to fix some of these problems.

 

 

 

PUBLIC AFFAIRS BY SUSUVE LAUMAEA

No gain in shooting or silencing messenger

TO shoot or to silence the messenger is more and more becoming a copy-cat past-time for governments in the Pacific region. It is a development all supporters of democracy, media freedom, freedom of expression and human rights must strike out against vigorously. It’s a worrying trend especially in Fiji under the interim government of military strongman Frank Bainimarama, in Samoa and is voiced ominously in Papua New Guinea from time to time by “big wigs” in the three arms of government. We must never remotely suggest to shoot or to silence the messenger. No gain will be made for any nation going that way. Such is tantamount to ripping out heart and soul – the very fabric of democracy as system of government of the people, for the people by the people. It was not surprising that this scribe and Frank Senge Kolma, a journalist colleague writing for a daily newspaper also as a columnist have been singled out and warned to walk the “straight and narrow” journalistic path and “take heed that (we) are treading on dangerous grounds” – a reference made by a senior judge on Thursday in relation to respective commentaries we have written in the past week for our respective newspapers about less than convivial “mouthings” coming from the hallowed halls of the judges. There is no bad blood there nor is there loss of respect all round. No doubt there is misunderstanding. But the implied threat against freedom expression and freedom of the press stands out like a sore thumb. At stake is denial of media and journalistic freedom of expression and publication with responsibility of public information, critique, analysis and commentary on prevailing and emerging issues of national interest and concern. Often times this scribe writes about freedom, liberty and human rights, and usually in terms of threats to or the reduction of these precious commodities by officialdom that is usually perceived to suffering or huffing and puffing under the weight of an acute case of insecurity and inferiority complex. We in PNG do not have to go the way of repressive and suppressive regimes elsewhere within our own Pacific region or further afield. Officialdom does not have to be suggesting situations similar to restrictions that have all but eroded freedom of media and freedom of expression by journalists and the public of Fiji. We are nation with a great deal of potential to strengthen our institutions of democracy – a pillar of which is free press, freedom of expression, freedom of thought and freedom to be free. Papua New Guinea’s National Constitution enshrines and bestows freedoms, liberties, rights and social obligations upon every man, woman and child of PNG in the Preamble and in Constitution Sections 32 inclusively through to Section 63. The letter, intent and spirit of the safe-guards provided in the National Constitution are awesome. They’re massive and are a must read for all citizens of PNG.  Lest we all get hoodwinked by those in the know who can manipulate the laws to serve self-interest. The relevant constitutionally-guaranteed freedom that this scribe and Frank Senge Kolma are being warned and threatened – by implication -- not to exercise freely is Section 46 – Freedom of Expression. Constitutional Section 46 stipulates that:

1.      Every person has the right to freedom of expression and publication, except to the extent that the exercise of that right is regulated or restricted by law -

(a)    that imposes reasonable restrictions on public office-holders; or

(b)   that imposes restrictions on non-citizens; or

(c)    that complies with general qualifications on qualified rights

2.      Freedom of expression and publication includes:

(a)    freedom to hold opinions, to receive ideas and information and to communicate ideas and information, whether to the public generally or to a person or class of persons; and

(b)   freedom of the press and other mass communications media.

This freedoms, liberties and rights are as good as how they can be freely exercised. When they are interfered with, obstructed or usurped through a public official’s insecurity or inferior complexes, the chances are that the values that we all take for granted in democratic systems of government come unstuck big time. Having created the premise upon which horns might lock in relation to the latest warning by a senior judge to me and my colleague let me present my case without fear or favour. Some events have overtaken the discussions in publications that have stirred some degree of judicial ire. That’s to be expected. People in high places must always know and appreciate that when they start wagging their tongues or utter a sound they have a willing audience who want to hear them but who are also critical or analytical of what may be said. Journalists – as news hounds – keep the public informed, educated and aware through their print and electronic media writings, commentaries and broadcasts. The role-play of investigative and provocative journalistic commentators, columnists and analysts is a little different from that of the normal news beat journalist or reporter. The commentary column is where the journalist writes analytically and investigatively and with a great deal of care and responsibility. That’s where one calls a spade and spade if evidence justifies the label. For instance, when there is smoke obviously a fire burns. Likewise when there is vomit there is bound to be smell. For both situations, a newshound worth his or her salt does not get the whiff of smell and go back to sleep. An inquisitive newshound – whether from Uritai village on the banks of the Lakekamu River in Gulf Province or from the mountain tops of Jimi in the Jiwaka area of Western Highlands will trace the smell to its origin and investigate it for its news value. That’s basically what the Laumaea and Kolma commentaries were about. The facts stack up. For instance, three judges sitting as a Supreme Court made a ruling that affected another judge presiding over the same case in the National Court. The judge in the National Court felt seriously aggrieved that he had not been fore-warned. He made a statement – more or less – as a personal explanation and also to abundantly register his displeasure to his colleagues. That’s fine. But then there was that other reactionary statement a day later from another judge lending support to the aggrieved judge.  Hello, stand back. The smell is getting stronger. To this newshound the situation became a vomit case. Any dog could smell that. Vomit is contents of the stomach expelled through the mouth. Among many animals dogs are usually drawn to human vomit. They explore the contents of the vomit and consume some or all of it. Watch them sometimes and you will agree. But where is this analogy taking us? The analogy is in relation recent judicial utterances by Justices Bernard Sakora and Mark Sevua -- two of the nation’s senior judges of the National and Supreme Courts. They vented displeasure in no uncertain terms in the media about a certain decision of the Supreme Court. The facts are that on Monday November 3, a three-judge Supreme Court comprising then acting but now confirmed Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, Justices Nicholas Kirriwom and Sao Gabi removed a stay order on the Commission of Inquiry into the management of public monies by the Department of Finance. The stay order was issued by Justice Sakora who was presiding over a judicial review sought by former senior public servants Zachery Gelu, Isaac Lupari and Tau Liu to disband the commission of inquiry. The Supreme Court also ruled that the judicial review be taken away from Justice Sakora and be given to another judge. On Tuesday, November 4, Justice Sakora – in compliance with judicial protocols -- issued a seven-page judicial statement in court wherein he slammed the Supreme Court decision as “hijacking” a case that was before him and giving it to another judge without informing him. He felt “insulted, abused and denigrated.” It is objectionable and offensive to be treated this way, apart from, of course, the disrespect and nonsense that was perpetrated on the laws and legal procedures that we are bound by,” Justice Sakora said. “In my considered opinion, there has been a blatant interference with my judiciary functions, in the process questioning my judicial integrity and independence.”
He also said the entire proceedings were “hijacked” from him without proper legal processes being followed to remove the matter that was currently before him.
“In my considered opinion, no law or procedure, or combination of both, would support and justify the intervention and interference of the Supreme Court in the way that it did -- (On Monday November 3).
“And the way it did was to ride roughshod over the constitutional powers, duties and functions given to this court by section 155(3) (a).
“In the process, the Supreme Court interfered with my judicial independence, a valuable and cherished doctrine of democracy and constitutionalism.”
He said the Supreme Court decision was “both objectionable and obscene as contrary to the principles under which our independence Constitution was based.
“It is intolerable by any democratic standards.”
He said the law and proper process to disqualify him from hearing this case were not followed.
“Duly appointed authorities exercising people’s powers under the Constitution, be they legislative, executive or judiciary, who ought to know and appreciate the laws and procedures of this country – the principles that the Founders of the Constitution unequivocally adopted to help, guide and govern us – do not appear to have any respect for those principles.
“Some of us who are committed to doing things right by all manner of people, true and faithful to our judicial oath and declaration, not to mention the Lawyers Oath we all took on admission to practice law in this country, are now constantly frustrated.
“Those of us who are duty-bound to enforce the laws of the country, are being constantly frustrated in this very serious task, by those who wish to evade and avoid the requirements of the laws and procedures of the country, by those who wish to cut corners, as it were.”
He added: “There is an assault on the democratic principles adopted on Independence (of PNG). As a necessary adjunct to this is the popular tendency these days to condone and reward mediocrity, irregularity, unconstitutionality, and illegality.
“The unusual become the usual (way of doing things), the unacceptable become acceptable, and the irregular becomes regular.”
The judge said the people’s judicial power was not a “popularity contest” as in the case with the Miss PNG contest. On Wednesday November 5, Justice Mark Sevua -- in support of Justice Sakora -- made a statement denouncing the actions of the Supreme Court.
“I support the comments made by Justice Sakora and endorse his concerns,” Justice Sevua said. The newspaper continued to quote Justice Sevua as having said that such an action of the Supreme Court was indeed “insulting” to a judge whom he described as one of PNG’s leading and most experienced judges on the bench. According to the newspaper Justice Sevua also said it was not the first time such a decision was made in recent times when interlocutory matters were before National Court judges and while they were still pending before those judges (as individual National Court judge hearings), the matters were taken to a higher court and then “hijacked” and given to be heard by another judge.
“This is a very dangerous trend and must be stopped by all means,” Judge Sevua is quoted as having said. He is further quoted as having said the rich and well-to-do could run to the Supreme Court and have matters before judges “hijacked”, but the “little people” could not because they could not pay and that the public should know that such “hijacking” of cases amounted to interference in a judge’s judicial duties.
“It is a blatant interference of a National Court Justice executing his judicial functions,” Justice Sevua is quoted as having said. Wisdom, freedom, restraint and responsibility come with a great deal of self-sacrifice and maturity is how this scribe would sum up this storm in a tea-cup. Here are a couple of quotes as food for thought: "More and more, if you're not in the digital conversation about your community, you're not in a conversation that matters" --   Alberto Ibargüen, President of The Knight Foundation. And former US president and founding father John Adams once said: "You will never know how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the pains to preserve it."

·        Share your views with the writer at susuve.laumaea@interoil.com or SMS (675) 684 5168

 

The National confirms status as favourite daily

THE National daily newspaper has again surpassed the 30,000 mark in the third quarter of this year, confirming it as PNG’s favourite English daily and well ahead of the older Post-Courier. The Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), in its latest report, said the average daily circulation of The National during the July-September period was 30,053 copies, 6.6% more than the previous quarter’s 28,168.
On the other hand, Post-Courier dropped about 4% from 24,140 to 23,139 copies.
The latest figures, based on 63 days of publication for both newspapers, mean that the average daily circulation of The National is about 6,900 copies or about 29% more than the Post-Courier which started almost 40 years ago.
The National, which marked its 15th year of publication this week, recorded an average daily circulation of 30,632 in July-September last year while Post-Courier’s average was 27,488. Both newspapers enjoyed high circulation during that period due to the country’s general election. The ABC is a worldwide organisation which verifies publishers’ claims on circulation. It audits more than 450 publications in the region.
Meanwhile, Pacific Star, the publisher of The National, recently signed an agreement for the purchase of two presses for the company’s printing plants in Port Moresby and Lae. Both presses are expected to be commissioned before the middle of next year.

Top of the charts

Who’s the top dawg of them all?

 Check out Rob@PNG’s listings of the top PNG websites and I think some very important pointers for successful blogging and on how he hit No.1 on Alexa’s rankings.

Could this be the end for online newspapers?

 

How PNG can benefit from Blogging

In my 20-odd years in journalism, I have written hundreds of stories and taken hundreds of photographs on a vast array of subjects, covering everything from rugby league to politics, from Kavieng to Daru.

Many of these articles were written before the age of computers, in the era of typewriters and fax machines, hence could not be saved.

Only after computers and the Internet came on the scene, in the late 1990’s, could these articles be preserved on floppy disks and CDs.

I couple of years ago, as I was cleaning up my house, I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with this myriad of stories and pictures.

Family and friends, particularly my late wife Hula – my greatest fan – had often encouraged me to compile a book of all that I’d written over the years.

After considering all the possibilities, I decided to set up my own Blog on the Internet, featuring my articles and photographs, and with the express purpose of promoting our beloved country Papua New Guinea.

So, I copied some of what I’d written and photographed over the years on a flash drive, and spent long hours on weekends at Internet cafes posting them on my Blog.

Slowly, but steadily, readership of my Blog grew and I started receiving emails from all over the world.

These came from former PNG residents, tourists who wanted to know more about the country, students doing assignments, academics, researchers, businessmen, writers, book publishers, and many, many more.

Needless to say, I’m proud that my Blog has, in one way or another, served to promote PNG around the world and may have brought in an extra kina or two into our coffers.

At the height of the Taiwan scandal earlier this year, I was surprised to receive an email from a leading TV station in Taipei, wanting to know more about Timothy Bonga and Dr Florian Gubon.

The TV station had apparently found my Blog on the Internet!

A Blog gives you your own voice on the web.

It's a place to collect and share things that you find interesting— whether it's your political commentary, a personal diary, or links to web sites you want to remember.

Many people use a Blog just to organise their own thoughts, while others command influential, worldwide audiences of thousands.

Professional and amateur journalists use Blogs to publish breaking news, while personal journalers reveal inner thoughts.

Whatever you have to say, Blogging can help you say it.

Blogging is about more than just putting your thoughts on the web.

It's about connecting with and hearing from anyone who reads your work and cares to respond.

With Blogging, you control who can read and write to your Blog — let just a few friends or the entire world see what you have to say!

Blogging let anyone, anywhere, to offer feedback on your posts.

You can choose whether you want to allow comments on a post-by-post basis, and you can delete any comments you don't like.

Access Controls let you decide who can read and who can write to your Blog.

You can use a group Blog with multiple authors as an excellent communication tool for small teams, families and other groups.

Or as a single author, you can create a private online space for collecting news, links, and ideas, to keep to yourself or share with as many readers as you want.

Blogging let you find people and Blogs that share your interests.

Your profile, where you can list your blogs, your interests, and more, lets people find you (but only if you want to be found).

Whether you're starting your Blog or just think it's time to give your existing Blog a facelift, user-friendly editing tools help you easily design a great-looking page.

A collection of templates will get you started with an attractive site right away without you having to learn any HTML, though you can edit your Blog's HTML code whenever you want.

When you're ready to take the next step, you can further customise templates to create a design that perfectly reflects you and your Blog.

You can easily upload photos on your Blog.

The fastest way to understand Blogging is to try it out, and in less than five minutes, you could be part of the phenomenon that’s transforming web and media to a participatory approach.  

 

InterOil's September Report Card

PORT MORESBY: InterOil has announced a “modest but highly encouraging” financial outcome for the third quarter of 2008.

The company recorded a pre-tax profit of $US9.3-million for the period.

This compares to a net loss of $US17.9-million for the third quarter of last year – an improvement of $US27.2 million.

The latest figures represent an annual return of less than one percent on InterOil’s major investment in Papua New Guinea.

However, Company President Bill Jasper said he was pleased with the result.

“Despite the volatile nature of the international marketplace and the current financial crisis, we have kept our head above water”.

“It’s a tribute to our dedicated and skilled workforce and our overall business strategy that we are weathering this initial stage of the storm.”

“The September quarter results follow a series of business strategies pursued during the past two years”.

“We have also adopted a number of hedging strategies to help mitigate the risks associated with the international crude oil market”.

Other key aspects of the company’s September report card are:

 

• A 39% increase in sales and operating revenues (when compared to the third quarter 2007) to $US262-million.
• An improved refinery run rate of about 19,000 barrels per day
• Securing a $US57.5-million (K150-million) working capital facility through Westpac PNG and Bank of South Pacific Limited.

 

InterOil also says that its total assets have increased by 31% while total liabilities have decreased by 1% when compared to September 2007.

The latest financial figures follow the recent announcement that drilling has commenced at its Antelope-1 exploration site in the Gulf Province.

Mr. Jasper said the company is continuing its investment position in PNG.

“These latest figures have given us a strong base from which to launch our future activities”.

   “We look forward to continued growth and a strong and vibrant future serving the people and nation of Papua New Guinea”.

For further in formation please contact

Susuve Laumaea

Senior Manager Media Relations InterOil Corporation

Ph: 321 7040

Mobile: 684 5168

Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com

 

 

Happy Birthday Malum Nalu Jr

Happy belated 8th Birthday to my eldest son, Malum Nalu Jr, who turned eight years old on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.
Because I was very busy last week, son. I couldn't put anything, however, this is something from the heart.
I love you son, and God Bless You as Your prepare to take your place in this wide, wide world.
Dad