The ''Tonga Chronicle'', also known as ''Kalonikali Tonga'', was a state-owned

weekly newspaper A weekly newspaper is a general-news or Current affairs (news format), current affairs publication that is issued once or twice a week in a wide variety broadsheet, magazine, and electronic publishing, digital formats. Similarly, a biweekly new ...

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

. It was established in 1964 and until 2009, published both in the English as well as the

Tongan language Tongan (English pronunciation: or ; ') is an Austronesian language of the Polynesian branch native to the island nation of Tonga. It has around 187,000 speakers. It uses the word order verb–subject–object. Related languages Tongan is one ...

. In March 2009, due to poor returns as a state-owned enterprise, the Government of Tonga agreed to hand over management of the ''Tonga Chronicle'' to Taimi Media Network and publisher Kalafi Moala, for a three-year period. The staff of the '' Times of Tonga'' newspaper moved in to share the state-owned building and assets of the ''Tonga Chronicle'', which then began printing in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

only, heavily reducing circulation and cutting staff numbers. There had been problems in operation of the paper, which was occasionally withdrawn to publish

fortnightly A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term , meaning "" (or "fourteen days," since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights). Astronomy and tides In astronomy, a ''lunar fortnight'' is h ...

, monthly and ceased publication for periods. In May 2011, Taimi Media Network owner and CEO Kalafi Moala finally decided to cease publication of the paper indefinitely. On 20 March 2012, as the management contract ended, "the ''Tonga Chronicle'' and its assets erereturned to the government"."New government newspaper launched next month"
''Matangi Tonga'', 24 April 2012 The agreement between Kalafi Moala and the government of Tonga was that he would operate the newspaper and turn it profitable, whilst utilizing the assets of the ''Chronicle'' for the publication of his own Tongan newspaper, ''Taimi 'o Tonga''. The current managing editor is former editor of the ''Taimi 'o Tonga'', Faka'osi Maama. Two other government enterprises whose management was outsourced by the Tongan government in 2009, along with the ''Tonga Chronicle'', was the

Tonga National Cultural Centre Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

, to Vava'u Member of Parliament 'Etuate Lavulavu; and the

Queen Salote Memorial Hall Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...

, to Simote Po'uliva'ati, former manager of

International Dateline Hotel The International Dateline Hotel is a hotel in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of Tonga, often used by guests of state. It was established in 1964 with 24 rooms by Janfull International Dateline Hotel Ltd., a joint venture between Tonga and China which ac ...

. Articles of the newspaper were also published in the
'Taimi 'o Tonga alternate website
''. Previous editors of the newspaper include Paua Manu'atu (Tu'isoso)(USA), Pilimisolo Tamo'ua(Tonga), Muhammad Ali Afu(AUST), Mateaki Heimuli(RIP) then outsource to Taimi Media Network and editors; Kalafi Moala, Josephine Latu-Sanft and

Tevita Motulalo Tevita Motulalo, also known as Dave Motulalo, is a military and international security strategist, and journalist. He is Deputy Editor of Tonga'Koe Kele'anewspaper, Editor of thTonga Herald Host of the weekly geopolitics radio show 'Tonga and the ...

. As of March 2009, ''The Tonga Chronicle'' became Tonga's only solely

English Language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

Newspaper.

References

Newspapers published in Tonga Publications established in 1964 1960s establishments in Tonga {{Tonga-stub