Now before I write anything here, I need to make it clear that I'm a fan of the Fiji Times and the job their reporters do. They are generally the most balanced and well-written newspaper in the country. There have been plenty of times, however, where I've questioned the way information is reported, especially as of late. Rest assured, though, the Fiji Times does not have a monopoly over questionable reporting standards and rarely do I think they really cross the line. That award has been going to Fiji TV for years and will probably continue to do so.
Today's Fiji Times deserves at least some mention, though. It's like we had a guest headline writer visiting us from FOX News today.
The recent deportation/eviction/kicking-out of their publisher notwithstanding, I had to grimace when seeing this headline today. I will not oversimplify the significance in the rise in crime in Fiji but this particular front page seemed to put way too much weight onto it and communicated something that, although unfortunate, does not deserve this kind of treatment.
Headlines presented at this weight should really be reserved for stories that have some serious significance. The September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States are one such example. Also "Attacks" is a very strong word when the Fiji Times article itself alluded to some of these cases involving criminal intimidation. Were they attacks or were they not attacks?
I think Fiji had about 520,000 visitors in 2007. Although that number is obviously down from the previous year, consider this:
Just .02% of visitors to Fiji were impacted by the statistic reported today.
I think it's likely that a higher percentage of people suffered Air Pacific flight problems traveling to Fiji than were impacted by actual crime.
This is in no way making the argument that crime isn't a problem in Fiji. It has been depressing watching it slowly creep up over the past few years. Home invasions, in particular, scare the shit out of me when I think about the safety and well being of my own family. I have to keep it in check though. I still consider Fiji to be one of the safest places I've ever lived in my entire life.
The most reasonable explanation for an increase in tourist-related crime might be partly attributed to the hardships people are facing in the country. Again, it's not an excuse but it is a fact. When people have less and struggle more, desperation can take over.
The chairman of the FVB was quoted as saying the increase in crime creates "a serious negative image of Destination Fiji and would impact and deter visitors to our shores, impacting collectively on the recovery of our already fragile tourism industry." I totally disagree. A marginal increase like this doesn't create anything serious. It's only when unfair attention in big bold letters is reported on in this fashion that the damage is done. In a sense, the media is giving itself tomorrow's headlines.
"MASSIVE DROP IN TOURIST NUMBERS. WHICH MINISTER IS TO BLAME?"
We need to be more responsible than this right now.
