Page 8 - IB November 2024

Whispers Whispers

Priceless fence analysis by Protestant pastors of the at the television station where the Sri
There’s a fence being built around a Catholic church in regional politics. Lankan CEO has described his operation
Pacific institute of learning. Students In Fiji, the church has stood for as a sinking ship.
and staff raised FJ$170,000 to build the indigenous rights and against state- The station has been hemorrhaging
fence two years ago. sponsored thuggery. Not so in the technical staff to its competitor for the
Only last month did work on this French territories where the church is last 18 months, and its news manager
barrier actually begin. News from seen as complicit in the deaths of local recently fled along with the IT boss and
this place of learning is that a recent freedom fighters and silent on issues a key presenter. It’s said that concerns
Finance Committee meeting has been which affect the people. and complaints raised with the Big Boss
told that a massive savings of some have gone nowhere.
FJ$50,000 has been made due to skillful Samoa’s media rules And wait for it, the CEO believes
management of the project. So much for Samoa’s strict rules that the company can be saved by
Now the students and staff want to around the media in order to treat King outsourcing all its major roles –
know whether they will receive any Charles with respect during the recent including programme production and
of the savings. It’s understood the Commonwealth Heads of Government news gathering.
savings may be used now to replace Meeting. Perhaps more jobs for Sri Lankan
the shortfall in other parts of the Annoying journalists were herded content providers?
institution. like cattle and forced to take images
from an organised pool of official video Flying low
Pohnpei waits operators and camera people. All well Now what about the national airline
On Pohnpei, there’s been a two-year and good. which turfed out a highly recognisable
wait for the beginning of a new campus That was until a Samoan —yes, a local, manager without giving him a reason for
for a regional learning institution. and not even a journalis—positioned the end to his contract? Once extremely
Promises have been made, agreements himself in front of the King and took a visible on social media, the manager
signed and the waiting started around selfie! The look on the face of Samoa’s was gone in a flash.
two years ago. Despite the promises, head of government was a mixture of He had replaced another highly visible
there has been no sign of the new shock, horror and disgust. social media figure who transitioned
faculty on the ground or virtually. Priceless. to a career on the periphery of
The local partners on Pohnpei have international rugby after some post-
now reached out to the institution and Brother and sister COVID fallout around the airline. In
asked for the head honcho to visit the The sister moves on from that recent weeks, the most recent fire
island where the people wait to roll out regional organisation which employs has actually taken to social media to
the red carpet and hear an update on her brother in a management position highlight his case.
the campus. It’s unclear whether the questioned over several years by It remains to be seen whether his
red carpet will be real or virtual. observers, insiders and staff. friends in the local media association
Will the brother last, or is he to be will take up the case. And it’s not as if
Social Injustice among those swept out by the new boss? the airline needs negative publicity.
What might Pope Francis say about Staff and management alike are
the failure of the Roman Catholic holding their breath to see what Media matters
church in Kanaky and Maohi Nui (New happens next. But some breathing In the Solomon Islands, litigation
Caledonia and French Polynesia) to space has been given, with the new CEO around social media posts is the new
stand up for the atrocities committed suffering a short illness and returning to money-making exercise.
against the local people? his home country to recover. A trade dispute boiled over onto
A proponent for social justice and The clock is ticking. Facebook and now a social media post
liberation theology since his days as has cost around $20,000 in damages
a parish priest in Argentina, Francis Revolving door after a court order. It looks like Solomon
would have been disappointed with the No manager seems to last very long Islanders must be very careful about

8 Islands Business, November 2024