TONGA: Tongan magazine plans return after ruling

The operator of the Tongan monthly news magazine, Matangi Tonga, says the publication will return to the streets of Tonga in the new year

Pacific Media Watch
Tuesday, October 12, 2004

WELLINGTON (RNZI Online/PIR/Pacific Media Watch): The operator of the Tongan monthly news magazine Matangi Tonga says the publication will return to the streets of Tonga in the new year.

Publisher Pesi Fonua's comments come after the Tongan Chief Justice ruled the kingdom's media laws void because they contravened Clause 7 of the countryıs constitution.

Fonua says the ruling is a victory for press freedom and will result in resumption of the print version of the magazine that has been absent since the media laws took effect earlier this year.

He says because of the legislation requiring publications to seek a licence every year the magazine had lost advertisers. Matangi Tonga during the interim has turned to its online version of the publication - located at www.matangitonga.to/home/ - to provide news and advertisements.

"Since the introduction of this legislation last year we have refocused the operation, where our energy has been focusing on in the past few months, but now with this court decision we have to reorganise and eventually we will come out with a print-version of the Matangi Tonga," Fonua said.

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Date Posted: 10/12/2004