Opposition opts for social media

20 November, 2013

Dulciana Somare-Brash

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Opposition opts for social media

Alleging pro-government bias in the traditional media, PNG’s key opposition MPs are opting to hold the government to account via social networking sites. Last week, opposition leader Belden Namah blamed government bias in the mainstream PNG media for the lack of publicity on opposition perspectives regarding key government accountability issues. Outspoken opposition MP Sam Basil has blogged about opposition concerns that the 2014 budget projections have been delayed without explanation. Basil claims that the mainstream media have withheld a series of reports concerning the government’s ‘poor management of the economy’ on the eve of the 2014 national budget. He has posed key questions on the economic and legal impacts of Chinese concessional loans, major transport infrastructure allocations, seabed mining negotiation risks and poor policy advice exposing the state to millions of kina in debt and lawsuits.

Recent government clampdowns on investigative media reports suggest that the selective reporting is due to deeper concerns about media freedom in PNG.

This article was written by

Dulciana Somare-Brash

Dulciana Somare-Brash has Bachelor Degrees in political science & international relations, and law from James Cook University. Her experience in politics and development ranges from employment with ABC/Radio Australia in Port Moresby, and later as Senior Research Officer at the Australian High Commission there. Most recently Dulciana has been PiPP's deputy executive director and director of operations in PNG.

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