BY GEORGE ATKIN IN WEST MAKIRA
Initiator and two times president of Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) who now settles in his village of West Makira, Makira Ulawa province. But before I go into the details of how MASI was formed and the struggles that were experienced, I must first express my heartfelt gratitude to the foreign friendly donors for providing funding assistance towards MASI.
It is not common for donors to help developing countries like Solomon Islands to develop their newspapers, news magazines and private radios and Televisions although they do provide both technical and financial support towards state-owned broadcasting and television services. So the donors must be thanked for providing funding assistance towards MASI.
And the present president and executive members of MASI must be congratulated and praised for being able to convince the donors that the funding assistance will help the media organization and its members to continue to grow their professional efforts and outputs.
I initiated the Media Association of Solomon Islands in 1980 after attending the launch of the Pacific Islands News Association – PINA at Tomberua island resort outside Suva, capital of Fiji in 1979.
The other Solomon Islands journalists who were invited were Mr John Lamani and Mr Simon Peter Papage from the government Information Department. Sadly both men had passed on. I represented Solomon Toktok, the first independent newspaper in Solomon Islands and launched in 1977 a year before Independence and was defunct around 1991.
Late Lamani started Solomon Star in 1980s after leaving the Information Department with other colleagues. The department then published The News Drum and operated a photographic service.
Of course late Lamani and Papage and I were not new to each other as we all started in the Information and Broadcasting department.
Late Papage started in 1971 while late Lamani and I started the year after.
I didn’t raise the MASI idea with them but I did with late Dykes Angiki of SIBC News and current affairs and Mr Ashley Wickham, our information officer but left to become a politician. He was an Australian trained journalist, late Angiki Papua New Guinea trained journalist while late Lamani and Papage and I attended the Wellington Polytechnic school of journalism in Wellington, New Zealand.
In initial meetings members representing SIBC, Information department, Solomon Star and Solomon Toktok agreed that MASI was and must always remain a professional media organization and not a trade union. It was also agreed then that media organizations paid $100 membership fees and not their individual membership fees – meaning members were journalists, broadcasters, administrators, librarians, engineers, photographers, graphic artists, typesetters, proof readers, editors, newspaper folders, printers, drivers, orderlies and cleaners.
In the initial years as MASI lacked finance, general manager of SIBC, late Patteson Mae, late Lamani of Solomon Star and me, editor/publisher Solomon Toktok served as executive. I was first president and although we didn’t do alot to advance it, we made sure of its survival.
As agreed in the MASI first meetings, MASI must always ensure the country must always have media freedom to demonstrate it is a democratic country and that the media must always play the roles of a “watch dog” to ensure political, church and community leaders walk the straight paths and not walk on the wrong sides.
MASI executive then always reminded its members that a strong independent media was its contribution towards ensuring the nation has government leaders that honor and practice accountability, transparency and good governance.
MASI then also always reminded its members to promote in the news political leaders must serve their people first before serving themselves.
This is the story of my professional history. Joined Information and broadcasting department in 1972 on training as an information assistant, 1975 selected to study journalism at Wellington polytechnic school of journalism.
A year ago late Lamani and Papage took the same course. I resigned 1976 and launched Solomon Toktok 1977 and folded it 1991, joined SIBC as a senior reporter, editor current affairs in 1994, acting editor News and current affairs 1995/96, deputy editor Solomon voice for the next eight months, 1997/98 editor National weekly, resigned end of the year after expatriate commissioner
And of course my sons, their mom and their children who make Brisbane and Darwin in Australia their homes.
Late Lamani was fortunate with Solomon Star as he had with him experienced staff especially late Imo Ta’asi as a reporter as he had the nose for news and was a hard worker.
I therefore was unable to develop MASI, harder still when I worked as a political appointee for the government. But the best thing in my opinion is media colleagues over the years have been keeping MASI alive. I extend my genuine congratulations to them. I wish you all the best and express my heartfelt gratitude and happiness to the funding donors.
