Public trust has decreased over the years mainly due to irresponsibility of the media also the way reporting is made, and especially when there is inaccuracy, unbalanced reporting, and in some cases straight out false reporting.

Despite all the challenges facing the regions media, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat media officer John Honimae believes the industry is doing a fair job however as he travels around the region he cannot help but notice that the public trust in some countries has decreased immensely.

Grubstreet Medias Graham Davies said,” the question to be  asked is does the public trust the media? The answer is no however there is no further evidence to support only that the situation in the Pacific does not look so bright.”

Honimae said,” although I cannot prove it, I believe there might have been a dent in the trust that our public have in the region media after the phone bugging incident on News International despite it being in the other side of the world.”

Evidently that there are choices available to media consumers since the recent introduction of the new media into households where they will not depend solely on traditional media.

“The publisher of Taimi Media Network Tonga, Kalafi Tonga said,” the traditional media like print has lost readership all over the world, as well as broadcasting, especially TV.”

He added this is due to the emergence of new media and other platforms where people do not necessarily depend on traditional media for their acquiring of information.

This situation is made worse when you hear over the radio or see in the print media press releases from the governments, regional organisation and other stakeholders being printed word for word in some media organisations.

“Hardly do I get a call from an island journalist after I send out press releases to enquire about a news angle coming out of the press releases however the only call I get is from Radio Australia or Radio New Zealand International.”

The integrity of both the national and regional media organisations is very important if they want the public to trust them.

However there were alot of challenges faced by reporters and media houses in Fiji during the period where they were heavily censored but they must commend for their efforts.

“The fragmentation of media organisations presently in the Pacific is a fact, especially over the past 10 years, and more noticeable in recent years over the differing views in regards to the Fiji Government and its treatment of the media,” says Tonga.

“The fragmentation has been primarily caused by contrasting ideologies, and differing views on how media should relate to Government among the leadership of the media in the Pacific.”

The Fiji Media Watch has been working towards achieving a 90% commitment in decent standard of reporting with partnering Fiji media houses by May 2013.

However media outlets have been strongly advised to invest in investigative journalism covering investigative stories only then can the readership or viewship increase.