25 Nov 2015

Fiji media trained on violence reporting

1:59 pm on 25 November 2015
Ashwin Raj, chair of Fiji's media authority MIDA

Ashwin Raj, chair of Fiji's media authority MIDA Photo: RNZ / Republika

Fiji journalists have undertaken a two-day workshop which aims to help newsrooms improve their reporting on gender based violence.

It was held in the lead-up to the United Nations 16 Days of Activism for the elimination of violence against women campaign, which begins today.

According to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 64 per cent of women in Fiji are affected by domestic violence.

The Media Industry Development Authority chairperson Ashwin Raj says there has been some reckless reporting on incidents of violence.

He says there are specific provisions in the media decree which need to be upheld.

"It basically talks about those that are subjected to violence, ensuring that their identity is not disclosed, so that reckless reporting does not lead to further trauma, so that there is no glorification of violence and so on and so forth. I think these are very important provisions."

The workshop was supported by Australia's Pacific Media Assistance Scheme.