Fiji Focus
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| "A better Fiji, for you and me" | |
| Type | bi-monthly |
|---|---|
| Owner | Government of Fiji |
| Publisher | Ministry of Information |
| Founded | June 13, 2009 |
| Political alignment | Pro-government |
| Language | English, Fijian and Hindustani |
| Headquarters | Suva |
| Website | New Dawn |
Fiji Focus is a Fijian bi-monthly newspaper, originally launched as New Dawn by the government of Fiji's Ministry of Information and Archives in June 2009.[1] Its motto is "A better Fiji, for you and me".[2]
The purpose of New Dawn, as stated by interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama's government, was "to effectively and directly inform Fiji’s citizens of [the government's] numerous policies and programmes". It also contained a section on civil service vacancies. Articles were written in any of Fiji's three official languages - English, Fijian or Hindustani. It was founded with an aim to counter what the authorities described as an anti-government bias in the media. Permanent Secretary for Information Lt.Col. Neumi Leweni stated:
- "Much too often the people have learnt of Government policies and programmes of assistance through secondary sources. Information on Government policies, programmes and achievements had always been conveyed to the people largely through the mainstream media. While Government appreciates that some section of the media practice true journalism ethics by focusing on accurate, balanced and responsible reporting, majority of the media organisations have failed miserably to abide by fair and accountable standards."[1]
At that date, however, the media were subject to strict censorship, following the constitutional crisis of April 2009.[3][4]
The newspaper contained articles highlighting government policies and their effects, with a positive slant. The inaugural edition of the newspaper, on June 13, 2009, included articles entitled "Tourism grows", "US Senator moots new approach to Fiji", "Support for Peoples Charter expands", "Govt to improve services", and "Devaluation positive".[2]
The New Dawn contained twelve pages and was published by Sun News Limited, the publishers of the Fiji Sun.[1] It was also available online on the Fiji government website.[5]
