Mollyn Nakabea 
[Photo: File]
Journalist safety must remain a priority as media organisations across the Pacific navigate growing threats, including intimidation and online harassment.
Fiji Times Editor-in-Chief Fed Wesley says media resilience is not just about adapting to new technology and maintaining financial sustainability, but also ensuring journalists can carry out their work without fear.
Speaking at the International Day to end impunity for crimes against Journalists, Wesley shared experiences of journalists facing arrests and imtimidation when reporting on issues of high public interest.
“Journalist safety is not an abstract discussion. It is about people, their families, their livelihoods, and sometimes their lives.”
Wesley says threats against journalists have also evolved with online harassment and cyberattacks creating new challenges for the industry.
“Press freedom is not only threatened through arrests, detention, or physical violence. It can also be undermined through humiliation, intimidation, and constant attempts to make journalists feel unwelcome when carrying out legitimate work.”
Fiji Sun Investigative journalist Iva Nataro says editors should allow time to talk about their experiences.
“Allow us time to talk about what we experience out in the field. It could be in the court, or taking the witness stand or covering a cyclone or even murders and body finds, eventually overtime it takes a toll on our life, not only mentally but physically as well.”
Wesley adds that news organisations must strengthen digital security, establish proper safety protocols and ensure journalists have access to trauma support.
