Journalists are being met with ill-informed police officers at polling booths who have been telling them that they need to be 100 metres away from polling booths.

As highlighted earlier, changes after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Office of the Electoral Commission (OEC) and the Journalist Association of Samoa (JAWS) include the distance being shortened to 50 metres from where photos can be taken.

Photojournalist Junior S Ami, who is in Savaii, was met with hostility from police officers, claiming they had been briefed that the distance is 100 metres.

Junior reported that police officers at Faletagaloa and Sapune even attempted to stop him from taking pictures.

Journalist Sulamanaia Manaui Faulalo also reported a similar incident in Lepa.

On Wednesday, police officers threatened and attempted to ban the media in Toamua. Police Commissioner Auapaau Filipo Logotino said it was a misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, the OEC said the police officer at Toamua was sleeping during the briefing.