12:22 PM |
Title – 6075 SAMOA: Threatened cameraman drops police complaint
Date – 6 April 2009
Byline – None
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – SamoaLive Newsline, 4/04/09
Copyright – SLNL
Status – Unabridged
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COURT REPORTERS AT RISK
http://www.samoalivenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2187&Itemid=59
By Melani Pini
APIA (Newsline Online/Pacific Media Watch): A TV3 television camera man and a Newsline photojournalist were threatened at the Apia court house in Samoa recently while on assignment.
The television cameraman initially complained to the police for being manhandled by family members of a church minister who was waiting to appear on charges of attempted rape and indecent assault.
The complaint was later withdrawn.
The Newsline photojournalist surprised the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Justice, Masinalupe Tusipa Masinalupe, when he dashed uninvited into his office, ahead of three pursuing male members of the church minister's family.
The Newsline staff member was chased to the second storey section of the building, and felt that bursting into the CEO office was the only recourse left to him at the time.
"The CEO came to my defence when he stalked out after the family members who scooted off when they saw him coming," confided the Newsline photojournalist.
The threat to safety and wellbeing while on court assignment has become an ongoing hazard for members of the media.
Help and security should be close by with the Ministry of Police next door but the safety of the media members is not what they would particularly look out for.
The indications are they are too busy to keep an eye out for the media.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Papali'i Li'o Masepa'u, felt that the media should either file complaints or write to express concern about the situation and seek police help.
He was responding to questions about the proactive role and working closely with the media, the law enforcement ministry is always singing to the general public.
"We don't have enough police to go around, but we can try and spare a few when possible from their busy work to help out," he told Newsline, with little conviction, when asked about it.
The police spokesman made it clear that the police on court duties are orderlies and their responsibilities are to the proceedings of the court.
There has been no known official response by the journalists association JAWS (Journalists Association of Western Samoa) to protest the safety and well being of their members, that are left at risk on court assignment.
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