“O le mau a Samoa – E pala le ma’a ae le pala le tala, ma e oo le vao. E talatau Toga ae talatofi Samoa.”
I thank the organizers for inviting me to be part of this discourse.
Undeniably, the role of the media remains a crucial pillar of information dissemination to the public. Such a role captures the essence of good governance, transparency and accountability, and it must be viewed in its entirety and not in a piecemeal fashion.
The machinery of government operates continually to regulate and to deliver services to the country.
This requires meticulous consideration of government’s strategic direction that encompasses the whole of government agenda, timely implementation of government services, and regular monitoring and evaluation.
These are epitomized in government’s strategic development plan which connects the fifteen sectors of the economy to non-governmental organizations, private sector, churches, and the community to ‘accelerate sustainable development and broaden opportunities for all’. Such a connection indeed requires quality and timely information dissemination and active engagement.
The Bible declares that without knowledge the people perish.
Quality Information is the key to knowledge, and good knowledge leads to empowerment. This is the rationale behind the formulation of the Press and Communications Division within the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (MPMC).
The MPMC operates at the centre of government to strengthen policy and programme coordination across the whole of government.
The Ministry’s strategic goals are to bolster good governance, strengthen national security, and to fortify information dissemination to the general public.
The Savali is the oldest periodical which began in 1904 and remains the government gazette to date. It is the platform for government to disseminate government’s major policy and programme decisions and the Lands and titles Court’s decisions.
The Press and Communications Division houses the Savali and the Press Secretariat. The PCD constitutes the third pillar of the Ministry’s vision – for Samoa to be well informed.
E momoe ma manu ae sau mala e atia’e – is a Samoan proverb that seamlessly resonates with the challenging times facing us to date.
The COVID 19 appears endless and reflects the prophetic utterings of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24: 33-34, that warned us – that when we see these things unfold, we know that the end times are near, right at the door. I believe the world is at this juncture to date.
Samoa was the first country in the Pacific to announce its border restrictions from COVID 19 on January 24th this year, when we received confirmation of its spread in China, in a meeting of the National Security Committee. From January to the first declaration of the State of Emergency on the 21st March, our journey seems endless in our national efforts to keep Samoa COVID free.
Our record shows that the PCD has issued 24 public notices on SOE Orders, 68 press releases, 94 interviews (80 by the Prime Minister), and responded to 184 media enquiries since the start of the COVID campaign.
On average, about 3 to 4 press releases and interviews every week.
The use of social media platforms has made information dissemination convenient and timely.
Government press releases and videos are now available on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. For consistency and regularity purposes, Cabinet directed that the Government Press Secretariat would be the primary outlet to disseminate information on COVID 19.
Media coordination is a significant component of the Ministry’s mandate.
This was why the Ministry Media Communications Strategy was developed to enhance media interface across the whole of government.
Essential to this interface is the designation of media liaison of ficers for all government agencies to liaise with the Press Communication Division of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet on matters relating to media. The strategy also includes strengthening of genuine partnerships with the private media. For all government press releases, the private media have been duly informed and are welcomed to use these materials.
The essence of compliance with the media code of ethics is an important component of this coordination. Undeniably there is always the race of who gets to break the news first. This as I understand it is the life line of the media fraternity. That is perfectly fine provided that such news reflect compliance with the code of ethics.
Quality, fairness and timeliness of news has been the key command for the PCD in its releases. It is also a guiding message for all of us. We all write reports, we share news, we consume what we read, hear and watch on media outlets. That makes us equal although our interpretations and intents may differ.
The bottom line is, what we release must be of quality, fair and timely.
Samoa is unique because of its culture and Christian beliefs. O le ava fatafata, faaaloalo, va tapuia, soalaupule, tofamamao, moe ma le uta fetalai are core values that continue to shape our existence as Samoans. These must be reflected in our approach when enquiring for news, and when we share information.
O le mau a Samoa – E pala le ma’a ae le pala le tala, ma e oo le vao. E talatau Toga ae talatofi Samoa. These proverbs ideally depict the extremity of words or news when they are written properly or otherwise.
What is newsworthy, must not be taken superficially, as it may have detrimental impacts on the subject. In Samoa everyone is related. Please remember that.
Genuine partnership is key to information sharing. The MPMC welcomes this partnership through the PCD.
There is nothing to hide, government executes its operations based on laws and policies.
The checks and balances for all government undertakings are effectively deployed to ensure good governance, transparency and accountability.
That is why the Prime Minister avails himself at least three times a week to speak to radio, online and television channels to clarify matters of national importance even at very odd hours of the day.
We value your role as private media and we welcome opportunities of this kind to share with you government’s experience, processes and systems, in support of ensuring a well-informed Samoa.
I thank you for your attention.
SOIFUA
