Editorial #1 - On the Request to Remove Debate Transcripts |
EDITORIAL
ON THE REQUEST TO REMOVE DEBATE TRANSCRIPTS The Editorial Board On June 11 the Editorial Board received a request that the transcript of the Minister of Engagement Interview for the June 2021 Cabinet Election be removed from this organisation’s thread on the Gameplay forum, where it had been published as one of three venues maintained for the distribution of our media content. The request argued that "elections are a private regional matter and the opinions that candidates express, while held with the region's interest, will not always be appropriate for prime time television". This request prompted a productive discussion among the Editorial Board regarding the role of journalism in the community and the prerogatives and privileges of private media within a democratic society. Resulting from this discussion, the Editorial Board has unanimously voted as follows:
In response to the points raised by the request, we address them as follows:
This organisation is not, however, a public utility. It does not answer to any electorate other than its Editorial Board, and it does not seek to advance the interests of any public institution. This does not make SPINN an enemy, it simply makes it an organisation that exercises its right to freedom of the press to its logical consequence: sometimes it will make decisions that some will find disagreeable, and while it will hear those disagreements and consider them fairly, in the end it does not need to comply with them. In the end, the Editorial Board does hope that this incident will not detract from what it considers to be a good record by SPINN of reporting the news, asking difficult questions and informing the public, particularly as it concerns the ongoing June 2021 Cabinet Election. There is much work to be done, and while not all will disagree with the way it is done, rest assured that the South Pacific Independent News Network will remain as it has always been, a clear reminder of the strength of this region’s commitment to freedom and democracy. The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do reflect the views of the Editorial Board. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific. (06-11-2021, 04:17 PM)South Pacific Independent News Network Wrote: This organisation is not, however, a public utility. It does not answer to any electorate other than its Editorial Board, and it does not seek to advance the interests of any public institution. This does not make SPINN an enemy, it simply makes it an organisation that exercises its right to freedom of the press to its logical consequence: sometimes it will make decisions that some will find disagreeable, and while it will hear those disagreements and consider them fairly, in the end it does not need to comply with them. How do you reconcile this with your special access to the public utility that is TSP's Discord? Your ability to post in #announcements and your frequent pinging of the legislator role are special privileges afforded to you that ordinary citizens do not have. Benevolent Thomas-Today at 11:15 AM
"I'm not sure if Altmoras has ever been wrong about anything."
(06-11-2021, 04:41 PM)Altmoras Wrote: How do you reconcile this with your special access to the public utility that is TSP's Discord? Your ability to post in #announcements and your frequent pinging of the legislator role are special privileges afforded to you that ordinary citizens do not have. Our use of the #announcements channel is not the result of anything untoward or inaccessible to ordinary citizens. It is the result of a mere request for access to the channel and a legitimate need for it. To our knowledge this can be requested by any individual or organisation.
I applaud the journalistic integrity of the people at SPINN. SPINN was well within its rights to publish the debate and interview transcripts in the NSGP subforum. As a truly independent media organization, SPINN represents an institution that behaves without fear or favor and in the absence of interference by government officials and political candidates in the South Pacific. The independence of SPINN from such interference is sacrosanct, and freedom of the press must remain inviolable. Article III, Section 1 of the Charter makes it abundantly clear that freedom of the press exists in the South Pacific. These rights and freedoms set us apart from other regions that try to undermine such things, and going down this path would run contrary to the regional ethos of the South Pacific.
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