28 Jul 2009

Cook Islands News says Media Council will fight govt's media bill

6:42 am on 28 July 2009

The editor of the Cook Islands News, John Woods, says the country's Media Council will fight government attempts to adopt a media bill aimed at introducing licensing.

Mr Woods was speaking at the Pacific Media Summit in Vanuatu about his daily paper's challenges in getting information from government.

Mr Woods says as an Official Information Act is now being phased in, but he has just learned that a media bill is now being considered again.

He says he favours media self-regulation but is opposed to several parts of the proposed changes.

"Licensing is, I think, the most dangerous part of it. It would require all media operators, and here's how absurd it is, it even has a clause saying that internet publishing will be licensed, it's just ridiculous."

John Woods, the editor of the Cook Islands News.