Freedom for people depends on freedom of the press. The government needs to accept this fundamental truth. Recent and suggested steps by the government are contrary to this truth.

It began with the suspension of the Samoa Observer from the government press conference, then a cabinet directive was issued to stop all advertising with private media in an attempt to block revenue streams to ‘unpreferred’ media outlets, then Prime Minister, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, announced how he would like information to be passed to the public through government mediums, which will be filtered and on the need to know basis and now the requirements for media when attending to events.

Five known countries in the world have gone down a similar path. China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam all have similar media practices. That is not the only thing common among these countries. These five countries are under communist rule, under dictators. Samoa is a democratic country, and such practices are very unbecoming of a democracy. The fact that the government will check the political affiliations of journalists says that if you are not wearing red, you are silenced. A similar stand seems to be taking place in the government machinery, with some key positions changed or likely to be changed, with those who align politically with the government.

The government’s stand on media freedom and proposed media policies have put transparency and accountability on their deathbeds. It seems that the government is shutting down all avenues to remain transparent. Why does a government do that when there is nothing to hide?

It is a clear attempt to silence scrutiny and a serious decline in Samoa’s democratic standards. Democracy weakens not through a single dramatic event, but through a series of actions that slowly erode transparency and silence independent voices.

The government’s recent actions strike at the heart of media freedom, a right that allows the public to understand and question those who hold power. Leadership requires openness, accountability, and the ability to face criticism without fear or restriction.

These trends, taken together, place Samoa at risk of moving towards practices more commonly seen in authoritarian systems where the press is limited, information is withheld, and criticism is discouraged. 

Is this a preview of what the future of press freedom will be under the leadership of Laaulialemalietoa? Free and independent journalism is an essential public good.  It’s the backbone of accountability, justice, equality and human rights. Journalists must be able to report freely and without fear or favour.  When journalists are unable to work, everyone in the nation loses.

The government is choosing what information the public gets because it is easier to control those who are not well-informed. Is this the future we wanted?