Media questions Covid-19 information channels

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 27 JANUARY 2022: The National Media Association of Samoa (JAWS) has expressed its disappointment with the Director General of Health on the channel of Covid-19 information updates provided for the local public.

The issue concerned an interview Leausa gave an Auckland based media outlet on Wednesday this week where he revealed six (6) more positive cases, hours before informing the local public.

Up to that point, the Local Media had been waiting for the latest updates amidst of the extended National Lockdown so as to keep the country informed on the latest positive cases.

However, the Local Media was only able to receive official information about the new positive cases, approximately five (5) hours after Leausa’s interview and the information already circulating on Social Media.

The JAWS president, Lagi Keresoma wrote to Leausa via email and copied the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health and NEOC Chairman expressing the Local Media’s concerns.

“The Media values our partnership with the Ministry of Health and NEOC and we are all obligated to the public,” she stated.

“At this very sensitive time, the Media has a vital role to play in informing the public regularly.”

“I believe it was unfair and unprofessional on your part to bypass the Local Media and feed the information first to an overseas Media when the local public were not.”

Attempts to get a comment from Leausa were unsuccessful.

Leausa and the NEOC Chairman were supposed to meet with the Media in a scheduled Press Conference at 10:00 today. But that was later rescheduled to 4.00pm, then 3.00pm and finally cancelled.

While the Media were waiting for the 10:00 appointment, the Government Media released a “Breaking News” story about the latest positive case bringing the total number of positive cases to 27. The rest of the Media were sent a Press Release some three (3) hours later.

Source said the media complaint about the Covid-19 information channels was discussed in Cabinet today and may have resulted in the cancellation of the Press Conference and a Situational Report (see the “Still no Community Transmission Story“) was issued instead.