Never again will we let fear silence the industry that speaks for people.
This message echoed throughout the room last night as Fiji’s media community reunited after 17 years for the return of the Fiji Achievement in Media Excellence Awards, a night marked by emotion, reflection and renewed purpose.
Fiji Sun Acting CEO and Fiji Media Association President, Rosi Doviverata shared that although the awards had been silent for nearly two decades, the nation’s journalists never stopped doing their job.
Doviverata also celebrated the rise of Women in Media Fiji and the success of their first national conference this year, noting that representation, empowerment and mentorship were reshaping the future.
She urged journalists to strive for excellence beyond the routine, calling on newsrooms to dig deeper, question more boldly and hold power to account.
Meanwhile, Mai TV Director and Fiji Media Association General Secretary, Stanley Simpson delivered a powerful recollection of the years when censorship overshadowed Fiji’s media landscape.
Calling the night 'personal', Simpson traced the challenges journalists faced after 2007, emergency regulations, newsroom censors, threats of being taken to military camps, and constant fear.
He reflected on the industry’s resilience in covering national crises, natural disasters, elections, sporting milestones and community struggles, praising journalists who continued to work under immense pressure.
He says the repeal of restrictive media laws had 'lifted our chests', giving Fiji’s press room to breathe again, and described the revival of the FAME Awards as a declaration that the era of silence had been overcome.
They are both urging young journalists to protect the freedoms earned through years of sacrifice, while thanking veteran journalists for carrying the torch through the most difficult period in modern media history.
