Completely unbeknownst to me, the Samoa Observer picked up one of my posts and some of the photos I posted recently, and published it as an almost-full page article.
Samoa Observer 21 October 2013
We certainly welcome expanding the readership of our blog, although hope next time that anyone who wants to publish a post or photos from our blog will ask our permission first. (This is particularly important for me, as an Australian Volunteer for International Development.) This does show the need for media regulation here in Samoa, a topic which has been hotly debated over recent months, with a Media Council Bill 2013 currently under debate. The Media Council aims to balance freedom of expression and speech with media professionalism and integrity, a balance that is extremely important in a human rights context. The model proposed has come under criticism for aspects such as not providing for the right of appeal within the Council against Council decisions (appeal is only an option through the judicial action).