OPINION:MEDIA MISTAKES AND MANIPULATION

13 July 2021

The fallout from the TV3 interview with the Caretaker PM has had a major impact on local media and journalists.

Samoas fourth pillar of democracy - the Media - copped a blow recently when it sought to repair the fallout from a recent interview with the Caretaker PM.

There is a certain honour and respect which senior figures in our community are due, and rightly so. To be given an audience with the Caretaker PM during these somewhat crazy times is a great opportunity especially for a journalist.

However, it would appear that the tables were turned. Even though our fellow journalist was primed and submitted her questions for discussion, she was prompted by the interviewee and the Government's own Savali journalist to pose additional and subtly phrased questions.

Regretfully what appeared to be a mutual understanding and an agreed agenda turned out to be a set up.

By way of background, Laauli had given an impassioned presentation of the deliberate harm which the HRPP was perpetrating in an interview on 23 June. In the subsequent follow up interview on 30 June the Caretaker PM manoeuvred an opportunity to "respond" to Laauli's comments.
However, the perversion behind the prompted questions gave the Caretaker PM the lead-in he wanted. The interview was hijacked and the journalist became the victim of a cruel power play.

In hindsight we can analyse how the events unfolded and only then understand that the journalist, media generally and the public at large were totally manipulated.

In the intervening time the Caretaker PM has challenged the silence of the United Nations, the SVSG and the Samoa Observer to this highly sensitive issue. His objective was to seek more air play from this controversial interview regardless of the collateral damage.

Since then Laauli's reputation has been questioned, women in particular have quite rightly been offended and a march in support of women's rights and stopping abuse has been held.

The journalist and her employer have issued public statements and apologies in good faith. Yet the Government owned Savali newspaper and the Caretaker PM himself remain mute.

We are all human and we all make mistakes. The apology issued by the journalist once she realised the implications of her questions was sincere and honest.

She had been outplayed by a master who uses and abuses the media in equal measure.

The incident is a lesson for all reporters. If you are conducting the interview you control it. Be prepared. Stick to the issues and never allow the person being interviewed dictate the agenda. We are the messenger but we must never allow anyone to control the questions as well as the answers.