Media Industry Development Act 2010

Media Industry Development Act 2010
CitationDecree No. 29 of 2010
Territorial extentFiji
Passed25 June 2010
Repealed6 April 2023
Amended by
2015[1]
Status: Repealed

The Media Industry Development Act 2010 (MIDA) was a law of Fiji which regulates the media. The law was promulgated by the military regime which seized power in the 2006 Fijian coup d'état, in the wake of the 2009 Fijian constitutional crisis, and required media organisations to be 90% Fijian-owned and forbade news reporting "against the national interest or public order", with repressive fines and jail terms for breaches.[2][3] It established the Media Industry Development Authority of Fiji to enforce the military regime's standards. Originally passed as a decree, it was later renamed an Act.[4]

A draft of the decree was announced in April 2010, with a compulsory meeting of media organisations required to give feedback on it.[5] The draft threatened jail terms of up to five years for journalists reporting "against the national interest or public order", and was condemned by international human rights organisations.[6] A final version with reduced penalties was promulgated in June 2010.[7]

The law was amended in 2015 to remove the $1,000 fine for journalists breaching the decree.[8] The amendments also permitted foreign pay-TV services provided they screened no local content other than advertising, excluding advertising by political parties, NGOs, foreign governments or multi-lateral agencies.

The United Nations Human Rights Council urged reform of the law to respect freedom of the press in Fiji's 2019 Universal Periodic Review.[9]

  1. ^ "Media Industry Development (Amendment) Act 2015". PACLII. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  2. ^ Dutt, Reggie R. (2010). "The Fiji media decree: A push towards collaborative journalism". Pacific Journalism Review. 16 (2): 81–98.
  3. ^ "Fiji's repressive media decree takes effect". Committee to Protect Journalists. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Media Industry Development Act 2010". Laws of Fiji. Retrieved 29 March 2023. This was promulgated as Decree 29 of 2010. In accordance with section 3 of the Interpretation Act 1967, the word "Decree" used with reference to any such "Decree" in the title or provisions of any written law or in any document or legal proceeding may be replaced with the word "Act".
  5. ^ "Fiji's draft media decree threatens long-term restrictions". Committee to Protect Journalists. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Proposed Fiji media law threatens journalists with jail". Amnesty International. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Fiji promulgates media law further restricting press freedom". International Press Institute. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Association Welcomes Decree Amendment". Fiji Sun. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  9. ^ "UN urges Fiji to amend Media Decree". RNZ. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2023.