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. |
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Editorial #1 - On the Request to Remove Debate Transcripts - by South Pacific Independent News Network - 06-11-2021, 04:17 PM
RE: Editorial #1 - On the Request to Remove Debate Transcripts - by Altmoras - 06-11-2021, 04:41 PM
RE: Editorial #1 - On the Request to Remove Debate Transcripts - by South Pacific Independent News Network - 06-11-2021, 07:07 PM
RE: Editorial #1 - On the Request to Remove Debate Transcripts - by Jay Coop - 06-12-2021, 02:22 AM
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