PNG Media Council condemns burning of newspapers

Alexander Rheeney

President for the Media Council of PNG, Mr Alexander Rheeney was not pleased to see pictures on Facebook of UPNG and UNITECH students burning the two daily newspapers, the National and the Post Courier this morning.
Students at the UPNG main campus burnt the two daily papers and posted pictures of what they were doing stating that the papers were doing bias reporting.
Mr Rheeney said it was an unfortunate situation to see students acting in that manner but it all comes down to their own stand in banning certain media houses from entering the campus.
“There was a ban issued to the two daily papers and some other media houses last week which is why the papers were not able to talk to the student leaders or report on their activities on campus”
“There was another instance in which the reporters of the papers and their camera men were turned back from the gate by the student leaders and the Uni Force”
Mr Rheeney said reporters cannot be sent to hot spot places where situation is tense and their safety is not guaranteed , that is why reporters of the papers especially Post Courier were reporting from other sources.
“The students have to use the main stream media as a platform to air their views and also if they can guarantee the safety of any reporter that goes into the campus, then that would give a balance story from the students as well as the government” said Alexander Rheeney

PNGFM