Don’t criticise journalists: Basil

National

MINISTER for Communications, Information Technology and Energy Samuel Basil says journalists and media organisations “often have a thankless task with limited financial recompense to bring news to the public”.
“No one should criticise journalists and their news media organisations for using taxpayers’ money to bring out news on events and the plights of Papua New Guineans in remote rural areas,” he said.
“We can’t be everywhere at once. Any and every bit of information coming from the four corners of our geographically diverse country where our people live, help us to represent their interests aright while we attempt to address their plights and living conditions.”
Basil, Bulolo MP and Pangu Parliamentary leader, said that critics of journalists funded supposedly by politicians to cover district and provincial events needed to ask themselves how else can news reports of events in districts and plights of people in those remote parts of provinces reach the mainstream news media.
“We all also need to understand that journalists are themselves taxpayers and so are their employers – the news media organisations,” he said.
“They are also reporting on and for PNG citizens and constituents for the public and leaders to be aware.
“We also need to appreciate the challenges that the media industry faces in Papua New Guinea especially in terms of competing for the limited funds for advertising.”