 | This articleneeds attention from an expert in Micronesia or Media. The specific problem is:External sources give contradictory information on the Nauru Bulletin. See thetalk page for details.WikiProject Micronesia orWikiProject Media may be able to help recruit an expert.(July 2014) |
Mass media inNauru remain undeveloped, but Australian aid programAusAID has been financing and supporting their development. As of February 15, 2010, Nauruan media consist in a television station and a radio station, with a fortnightly newspaper due to be launched within days. FormerAustralian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasterRod Henshaw is serving as interim media director for the Nauruan government.[1]
In 2009, the Nauruan press consisted of theCentral Star News and theNauru Chronicle, both of which were published fortnightly, and the government-issuedNauru Bulletin, which was published weekly.[2][3][4]
In 2010, the first edition ofMwinen Ko, a monthly community newspaper, was published.[5]TheNauru Bulletin is managed by theGovernment Information Office (GIO) and is distributed by email and on the official website on a fortnightly basis.[6]
Nauru Television (NTV) -operated by the state-owned, non-commercialNauru Broadcasting Service- was launched in 1991. In addition to local programmes, it broadcasts programmes from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation'sAustralia Network and from New Zealand television. It is the only television company in the country.[1][2][3]
Radio Nauru, also operated by the Nauru Broadcasting Service, broadcasts local content and programmes fromRadio Australia and theBritish Broadcasting Corporation.[1][2][3]
As of 2015,Freedom House classifies Nauru press as "Partly Free". Classified as "free" from 2002 to 2013, it was downgraded to "partly free" in 2014.[7]
There have been several reports of media censorship within Nauru, under PresidentBaron Waqa (elected in 2013). In August 2013, Acting PresidentDavid Adeang placed a media ban on opposition criticism of theasylum seeker deal between Australia and Nauru.[8] Just over two weeks earlier, media coverage of theJuly 2013 riot at theNauru detention centre was restricted.[8]
Police confiscated a video recording of a parliamentary session from Nauru Television in May 2000.[9]
In January 2014, the visa cost for foreign journalists rose from $200 to $8000. Australian opposition leaderBill Shorten was quoted as saying "There's more than one way to bar the scrutiny of the press ... it could be a measure aimed at discouraging Australian journalists from reporting".[10] However, the Nauruan government has stated that the increase was only intended to provide more revenue for the island, and was not implemented to deter reporting.[10]