Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Veteran journalist and JAWS member Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia has raised concerns over the contents of a leaked 19-page draft of the Samoa government’s proposed media protocol, saying several measures could undermine press freedom in Samoa, as Samoa News reported in yesterday’s Pacific News Briefs.

In answering questions posed by Samoa Observer reporters Autagavaia said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate,” referring to the proposal to screen journalists for political affiliations. “It's very clear in the Code of Ethics that the media is not, should not be affiliated with any political parties or have any political affiliations," the Samoa Observer quoted him yesterday.

He stated that limits on follow-ups and threats of verbal or written warnings, bans, or denied access, as outlined in the draft, could undermine accountability.

“They should be very open-minded on that, and people are working there now in the Prime Minister's office and the press secretariat who used to work for many years in the mainstream media like us,” he said. “I hope they’re not going to control and put boundaries for the journalists to prepare their questions and to come over for the press conference.”

He noted that while the media protocol is still in its draft stage, several provisions suggested overreach, particularly those relating to access and restrictions on questions during press conferences.

The draft protocol also proposes requiring reporters to submit questions 24 hours before a press conference, a rule Autagavaia agreed with in principle but said needed reconsideration.

“If the press conference is on Friday, then give us Monday to Thursday to put in our questions; they need more time to look for the answers to our questions,” he said. 

Autagavaia added that the draft protocol must still allow journalists to ask follow-up questions, regardless of what they have pre-submitted. “They must expect us to ask more questions. It's not for them to police us. They should allow us to ask our follow-up questions on top of the main one,” he said.

He added that a press conference should be “free, open and a fair forum for journalists to bring their issues to the government leaders." 

All other journalists questioned declined to comment, according to the Samoa Observer report.

(Source: Samoa Observer)