The Journalists Association of (Western) Samoa (JAWS) is Samoa's national media association. It was founded in 1991 and is led by Lagi Keresoma. JAWS is an independent body made up of local journalists working in the print, online, television and radio media. It promotes the role of a free media in Samoan society, and protects the rights of journalists in Samoa. JAWS is a legally registered incorporated society with the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour. JAWS issues statements regularly in regard to

freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...

in Samoa. In 2008 the

International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries. The IFJ is an associate ...

(IFJ) issued one statement in support of a complaint made by JAWS. The complaint was in regard to the censorship of the media by the office of the Ombudsman. IFJ issued a support statement calling for the lifting of the ban on the Samoan media. In 2009 in response to a statement by JAWS, the IFJ issued another statement supporting the organisation in discouraging the

harassment Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates or embarrasses a person, and it is characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and moral ...

of journalists at the Samoan courts. In 2011 the body cut ties with the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) after the

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

-based body had stopped functioning in the wake of the

2006 Fijian coup d'état The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 was a coup d'état carried out by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, against the government of President Josefa Iloilo. Iloilo was removed as president, but ...

. In 2013 JAWS was de-registered as an incorporated society after failing to complete its paperwork. In 2018 JAWS opposed the Samoan governments reintroduction of criminal libel. In 2019 it opposed a ban on filming at parliament and plans by the Samoan government to criminalise leaking. In June 2020 it expressed surprise at discovering that the new Legislative Assembly of Samoa building did not include space for a press gallery. In May 2021 it elected Lagi Keresoma as its first woman president.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Journalists Association Of (Western) Samoa Organisations based in Samoa Journalism organizations 1991 establishments in Samoa