Journalists attended the historic voting at the Parliament of Fiji. Photo from the Facebook page of Pacific Islands News Association On April 6, the Parliament of Fiji voted to repeal the Media Industry Development Act (MIDA) which was enacted in 2010 by the government that assumed power through a coup in 2006. The new coalition government that was formed after the December 2022 election has vowed to pursue reforms in media legislation, which included the review or repeal of MIDA. Local journalists and media groups have criticized MIDA as a repressive tool of the previous government. The statement of the Fijian Media Association (FMA), which was read during the Parliament session, highlighted the deleterious impact of MIDA on the local media environment: Some of Fiji's best journalists left the industry as a result and the media still carry the mental scars today from that very disturbing period. Neither the previous government nor a single member of the public has ever used the MIDA Tribunal to complain about the media, and there has been no media development under MIDA. It was a useless, but dangerous and vindictive piece of legislation for the industry. The repeal of the MIDA Act has long been a unifying demand of all media organizations in Fiji. No government, including this Peoples Coalition government should ever be given such power over the media. During the session, Minister for Communications Hon. Manoa Kamikamica read out the names of journalists who were either harassed or charged by authorities for alleged violations of the MIDA, as this tweet by a journalist shows: Thank you Fiji Media Association and DPM Manoa Kamikamica for mention of names in Parliament today who have in some way been subject of particular attention by the previous govt. Satish Narain, Tanya Waqanika & Tevita Gonelevu also paid a high price under previous govt #Fiji pic.twitter.com/uwTGxeH5Jt — Anish Chand (@achandftv) April 6, 2023 FMA added that “the MIDA experiment is over and the draconian legislation now belongs in the dustbins of history.” In an earlier statement, FMA cited how repressive provisions of the MIDA undermined media freedom The excessive fines hanging over the heads of the media organisations and editors were threatening, not conducive to media freedom, and designed to be vindictive, punish and control the media rather (than) encourage better reporting standards. Another journalist recalled on Twitter how the government in 2010 used the repressive media law to intimidate newsrooms. Vividly recall the cruel days leading up to the enactment of this law. How they'd send soldiers to the newsrooms to vet our copies😭. How we were sworn at for writing ‘interim’ instead of just govt. Hats off to colleagues who chose to stay. To media freedom👊 https://t.co/1KW5VbaK90 — Ana Tudrau-Tamani 🇫🇯 (@AncyFiji) April 6, 2023 After the voting in Parliament, Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley exclaimed, “Today is a great day to be a journalist in Fiji.” He later wrote an editorial linking MIDA to the decline of democracy in Fiji. How could you ignore that with massive fines and a jail term hanging over your head daily? Because there was no clear explanation about what constituted a breach, editors faced the very real possibility of someone somewhere using the Act against them. It certainly wasn’t fashionable standing against the government then, raising niggling issues that made those in power look bad. The people do not need absolute control by the government. They don’t need suppressed information either. Before the day ends. Here is to Media Freedom! The @fijitimes editorial team celebrates after the Media Industry Development Act (MIDA) 2010 was repealed today. It has surely been a long tough battle. #since1869 pic.twitter.com/Z130Vfh3Bw — Ana Madigibuli 🍃 (@fijiandreamer) April 6, 2023 Islands Business Magazine editor Samantha Magick explained how the repeal of MIDA will inspire more critical media reporting in Fiji Fiji's media will see more investigations, more depth, more voices, different perspectives, [and] hopefully they can engage a bit more as well without fear. It'll just be so much healthier for us as a people and democracy to have that level of debate and investigation and questioning, regardless of who you are. “Very Emotional,” Fiji Times editor in chief Fred Wesley told me. Newsrooms celebrate press freedom in Fiji after the repeal of what has been described as “draconian law”, suppressing media freedom.@RNZPacific @fijitimes @islandsasia @kelvinfiji pic.twitter.com/EDzdYS1He6 — Lydia Lewis (@LydiaLewisRNZ) April 6, 2023 But the previous ruling party said the passage of MIDA was necessary to protect public interest.