The newspaper said it raised the issue of the rights of journalists and broadcasters in court and the right to privacy and and fairness to accused people. In the past, the press respected the right of accused people to remain innocent until proved guilty and their right to privacy. And because of that accused people were never photographed. But the advent of television in Fiji changed all that. Now we see accused people being photographed as they are led into the courthouse, sometimes even before a plea has been taken.
Television takes it one step further with pictures of accused people inside the courtroom.
Why this has been allowed to happen, we don't know. But it equates Fiji with countries like the United States where accused people are tried first by the media before they face a judge in court. It makes a mockery of the legal system and puts accused people at a disadvantage from the start. The Daily Post appealed to readers to give their opinions on the role of the news media covering court cases. In recent months, Fiji Islands Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has publicly attacked the Fiji news media for alleged low professional standards and lack of training.