Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has once again attacked the Samoa Observer newspaper accusing them of producing “fake news” and for “defamation.”

But that’s not all. 

He went as far as accusing the Samoa Observer’s Editorial Board of doing a “horrible job” at reporting and writing “factual news” asking them to “get School C’s graduates (Year 12 students)” to “train the editors on how to write stories.”

The critics from the leader of the country were made during his weekly program with TV3 on Wednesday. 

Speaking about the eighty Samoan seafarers, who will soon be flying out to take up new work at sea in Brazil with the Mediterranean Shipping Company (M.S.C.), Tuilaepa claimed this newspaper “conjectured that he and the government of Samoa are forcing these sailors to go out and work at sea during the pandemic.”

However, the only time this newspaper, so far reported on the eighty sailors who have been given employment opportunities to work at sea once. The story was published on the Sunday Samoan, 13 September, 2020. 

There were no speculations made in the report as Tuilaepa claimed.

 “I saw a story they published about the seafarers, and they (Samoa Observer) claimed that I and the government are forcing these sailors to go out there (at sea),” said Tuilaepa. 

“This newspaper is well-known for publishing fake news and (for) defamation. 

“They now work as a body to go against the government.”

Tuilaepa went on and attacked the editors and editorial board of the newspaper. 

 “If you have a look at the opinion section of this newspaper, it is no longer written by one editor, but it is now done by the “editorial board.”

“So if they made mistakes before, when they had one editor, you would think that they would do a great job and get it right with the “editorial board” in charge. But no, that is not the case. 

“It has gotten horrible,” he added. 

“This tells us that this newspaper is bad; the people in charge of this newspaper are bad people.

“Maybe they need professors, oh no, not professors, we need School C’s (School Certificates for Year 12 College students) graduates in journalisms to come and teach the editor and the whole editorial board so they know how to write stories and get used to writing factual news.

“They should also refrain from voicing those other people’s opinions as it will destroy their (Samoa Observer) reputation.”

Tuilaepa then giggled and says that the comments he made are his “way of helping the newspaper thrive.”

“That is my way of helping them, you know like a piece of fatherly advice for the newspaper to thrive because it seems lifeless. 

“Another thing they should look at is to hire intelligent people to write stories. 

“These are the ways of a Good Samaritan, if you see that a business owner is falling into a plaque, you reach out a hand and pull them up. 

“But, no matter how many times they defame me and the government, I always try and make their business grow.”