In the Pacific, press freedom is under significant threat as journalists encounter increasing legal challenges and criminal prosecutions for defamation. The chair of the Pacific Freedom Forum, Robert Iroga, highlighted the economic constraints that media outlets face, making it hard to defend against costly lawsuits. Countries like Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands exemplify this crisis, where political pressures and legal risks stifle journalistic integrity. Iroga warns that these developments are slowly eroding the fundamental rights of free press in the region.
Concerns have been raised about press freedom in some Pacific countries in recent years, including in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, where political pressures affect journalism.
This is a critical moment for us in the Pacific... Threats have slowly been creeping in, eroding the freedom of the press, according to Robert Iroga.
Journalists in the Pacific often face costly lawsuits and criminal prosecutions for alleged defamation, impacting their ability to report freely.
This limits the ability of a journalist to report, knowing that entering into a legal suit might destroy the company due to high costs.
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