The Fiji Times’ front-page article “Fall from Grace” on Monday 18 November 2019 misreported a statement released by the Fijian Government in response to a recent Al Jazeera report on the Grace Road Church in Fiji.
The article ran the following:
“In a statement on Saturday night, Government said they could not comment on the documentary as it was unclear if the video had been ‘altered’ or ‘doctored’.”
This line is false. Government’s statement rightfully cited a need for strict adherence to the law, and respect for due process in ongoing investigations, as the reason it could not comment on the documentary.
The Fijian Government’s statement made clear that it could not respond directly to an edited video clip within the documentary which was played in the Korean language. This is standard practice; even the Leader of the Opposition, in the very same day’s newspaper, cited that authentication would be required for comment. For the Fiji Times to spread this type of misinformation is either sloppy reporting or deliberate misinterpretation of the facts to confuse and scare the public.