The largest global grouping of public broadcasters says Nauru's ban on Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalists attending the Pacific Islands Forum summit is completely unacceptable.
Photo: 123RF
The president of the Public Media Alliance, Paul Thompson, who is also chief executive of RNZ, said the ban was a brazen attempt to muzzle those journalists.
The Nauru government issued the ban earlier this week, accusing the ABC of false reporting.
Mr Thompson said the ban was a very worrying development, particularly in view of the Pacific Forum being a regional body.
"I think it strikes at the heart of the integrity and openness of the Forum. I am really concerned about it. RNZ will be sending a reporter to cover the Forum and we will be making all of our journalism, hard hitting journalism, available to our colleagues at the ABC.
"So I just want to make that clear that we are going to go there and do our job, and ensure that news gets out."
President of the Pacific Media Alliance, Paul Thompson, who is also chief executive of RNZ Photo: RNZ