One of Fiji's main newspapers, the Fiji Times, was awarded the News Limited Chairmans Award last week for its courage in standing up to government intimidation.
As reported by Fiji Times Online, its publisher, Evan Hannah, its Editor, Netani Rika and staff of the newspaper were awarded the News Limited Chairmans Award at the News Awards function in Australia last week.'News Limited chairman and chief executive John Hartigan presented his Chairmans Award to Mr Hannah and Mr Rika and Fiji Times staff for their courage in standing up to government intimidation', saying that 'under these circumstances, the duty of journalists has never been more clear which was to champion the truth and the right to publish it in the face of government oppression'.
Mr. Hannah, along with the publisher of another national newspaper, the Fiji Sun's Russell Hunter, were deported from Fiji early this year after both newspapers reported on the activities of the ruling military-led interim government.