by Ross Nepia Himona te.putatara@actrix.gen.nz
The Foreign Correspondent is a highly skilled journalist and writer who immerses himself or herself in the job.
He or she does an enormous amount of homework and hard won research, to gain an understanding of his or her subject
matter. The successful foreign correspondent lives and breathes the job, 24 hours a day, and more often than not,
throughout the whole of his or her working life. Skilled and successful foreign correspondents develop a deep knowledge
of the cultural mores of the countries they report, and they even, heaven forbid, learn the language. They develop a
highly informed perspective.
This last fortnight, the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand media dug deep into their reserves of skill and knowledge,
found no foreign correspondents, then decided to send to Suva their sewing-circle and courts-round hacks to report with
authority on highly complicated events in another country, in a culture completely different from their own. The journos
at home as well, reporting and commenting from afar, became instant experts, able to comment with equal authority on
events about which they had absolutely no idea.
They shaped the perceptions of the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia during the last two weeks, based only on
their ignorance. In place of knowledge they substituted their own perceptions and values and prejudices. In place of
understanding they imposed a cultural and moral superiority. In place of professionalism they descended into half-baked
ill-informed prattle and speculation. In place of journalistic objectivity and integrity they resorted to mockery and
ridicule.
It gets worse. Both the journalists in Suva and at home insinuated themselves into the crisis, and became participants
rather than observers and reporters. They became part of the problem.
They will claim that they were manipulated by George Speight into that situation, and of course George Speight has used
them to spread his propaganda. But the excuse does not stand up to scrutiny, for they were willing participants in the
whole media charade. Their self-importance and hubris knew no bounds as they became caught up in the hype, convinced of
their own righteousness, and carried away by the sound of their own voices. They desperately wanted to be part of the
action.
In that state of absolute unreality, they proceeded to pass judgement, to impose wildly unrealistic expectations, to
insult the people they interviewed, and to openly imply that the Indigenous Fijians are a bunch of incompetent amateurs.
In doing so they built up enormous resentment among Indigenous Fijians, and helped to inflame an already serious
situation. There can be no doubt that they helped prolong the whole affair.
They do have the semblance of an excuse I suppose, for there was not one real foreign correspondent among them, either
at home or in Suva.
Article available at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/rhimona/karere/fiji023.htm
Ross Nepia is the editor of Te Karere Ipurangi a Maori news site