Today marked a momentous occasion for the Media Council of Papua New Guinea (MCPNG) and the media fraternity at large as the MCPNG successfully held its first official Annual General Meeting since the last one in 2017 for members.
Members present included full members the South Pacific Post Ltd – Post-Courier, Word Publishing Company – Wantok Niuspepa, Sunday Bulletin, National Broadcasting Corporation – NBC TV/ NBC Radio, PNGFM – NAUFM/ YUMI FM/ LEGEND FM, Media Niugini Ltd – EMTV.
Associate members present included Correctional Services (CS) Media and Transparency International PNG Ltd/ Community Coalition against Corruption. Also present was observer Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In addition, the new member present was Inside PNG; one of two new members with the inclusion of the PNG News Website.
Among the agenda tabled at the Media Council PNG AGM, was the election of new executives for the Media Council of PNG.
Incumbent executives Mr Neville Choi, Mr Gregory Moses and Ms Belinda Kora were re-elect
ed to their respective positions as MCPNG Chairman/ President, Deputy Chair/ Vice-President, and General Secretary.
Newly appointed Treasurer to the Media Council of PNG was PNGFM News Director Ms Genesis Ketan.
Re-elected Chairman Mr Choi thanked the Media Council of PNG members present for the confidence in the executives and vowed to continue the work started to rebuild the Media Council of PNG.
“The media is currently in a state of change and development.”
“There has been a collective drive to rebuild the Media Council to be able to meet these current and future challenges facing free and independent media.”
“The media in PNG remains independent and robust, and my re-election as President and the re-election of my fellow executives reflects the confidence the MCPNG Members have in the work the Executive has been doing and is committed to supporting the MCPNG as the official voice of the media in Papua New Guinea.”
“These are challenging, but exciting times for the media in PNG, and the region.”
“The Council is now on a stronger footing to see through the reform work of the council.”
The newly endorsed executive will continue the reform program of the Media Council, the rebuilding of its secretarial and financial processes and functions, and a review of its Constitution, and the MCPNG General Industry Code of Ethics.
The election of the MCPNG executives reflects the confidence the Council’s mainstream media membership has in them to carry on the reform work at the Council, which began toward the end of last year.
This work will continue with the reconstituting of the council through a review and updating of its Association Constitution.
This will then lead to discussion on membership, working with journalism training institutions to review journalism training, and improving media advocacy in the country.
The reform agenda of the Council has seen the return of its signature Public Discussion and Information Platform, the PNG National Press Club, the Council’s media networking schedule of events, and the return of the PNG Media Awards of Excellence.
Today’s AGM also confirmed the official installation of the Media Council Complaints Tribunal which will preside over any complaints made against the mainstream media membership of the MCPNG, failing an amicable resolution of the complaint, or an agreed to retraction or correction by the parties involved.
The Complaints Tribunal comprises MCPNG President Neville Choi as Chair, Post Courier Editor-In-Chief Matthew Vari, and Acting Chief News Editor for NBC, Ms. Waliegai Olewale.
