USP academic warns media officers over 'balance'

USP academic warns media officers over 'balance'

By Ioane Burese

SUVA (The Fiji Times/Pacific Media Watch): Journalism academic Professor Mark Edge has cautioned government media liaison officers on developing media trends and their impact.

Professor Edge, head of the journalism division of the University of the South Pacific's School of Language, Arts and Media (SLAM), told the officers at their quarterly meeting at the Parliamentary Complex in Nasese the new trends gave more media freedom but reports had to be balanced by responsibility.

"Fiji has to tailor its regulations according to what it needs," Dr Edge said in an Information Ministry statement.

He said the internet was the fourth great advance in communication after writing, printing and broadcasting and it had changed the media.

Dr Edge said although television showed emotions, it did not show thoughts like the new media.

"The change is also from being a media for mass marketing to a media for niche marketing," Dr Edge said.

"The old media provided few choices but the Internet provides multiple choices.

"New media allow audience to interact, not just with media but with each other."

However, he added newspapers were still profitable because of their "natural monopoly" compared to internet advertising.

Dr Edge said social media like Facebook, Twitter and others allowed instantaneous interaction.

"It is the social responsibility of internet users to create peace and harmony among people," Dr Edge said.

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