Surangel Whipps Jr in Rarotonga. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
Palau's media has "lost its credibility", is "not ethical", and "sensationalising" reports, the leader of the North Pacific island nation has claimed.
President Surangel Whipps Jr was reacting to concerns raised by press freedom advocates after a company owned by his father sued the country's national newspaper, Island Times Palau, last month.
Surangel and Sons alleges that Island Times and its editor Leilani Reklai published an article with "false and unsubstantiated allegations" about how much tax was paid by Whipps Sr's business.
The company is suing both the newspaper and Reklai, seeking substantial compensation.
Earlier in November, Whipps branded the reporting as "propaganda" and "inaccurate". Reklai said Islands Times was being " being intimidated", and the defamation suit was aimed at "control[ling] how media in Palau tells a story".
In a statement on 27 November, the Palau Media Council and Island Times thanked supporters for contributing toward the newspapers fundraising plea to cover legal costs.
"In these challenging times, when press freedom is increasingly under threat from legal pressures and attempts to silence critical reporting, your unwavering support sends a powerful message: our community stands united in defence of truth and transparency," the statement said.
"Because of you, Island Times can confidently face its legal challenges while continuing to shine a light on the stories that matter most."
Island Times Palau Photo: Screenshot / Island Times
However, Whipps told RNZ Pacific this week that media sometimes takes political positions and does not speak the truth because of politics.
"It's about media being accountable and being responsible to the people," he said.
He said he beleives the media plays an important role in ensuring that the public is well-informed.
"Sometimes the media has its own twist on things, and everything from misprinting, not disclosing that and an ad in the newspaper was a paid political ad, or other other issues that they did."
He said Palauans want a reputable media that people can trust and that speaks the truth.
Palau Media Council board member Leilani Reklai (right) at the 2023 Pacific Media Freedom Index launch in Palau, pictured on 23 September 2024. Photo: BenarNews / Stefan Armbruster
"The media in Palau has lost credibility, and if anything, what we need to do is help rebuild its credibility because of some of the practices.
"Sometimes why media loses its credibility, is because they start playing politics and trying to sway opinion, not being ethical.
"I think that's that's all we expect. We expect media to be ethical, to be honest, to be doing its due diligence.
"We should just be sharing the truth, sharing all sides, so that people can make informed decisions."