Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji since September 1999 and owned by Sun News Limited.[2][3] Fiji Sun was founded by and is part of CJ Patel Group.[2]

Fiji Sun
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatTabloid
Owner(s)Sun (Fiji) News Pte Limited
PublisherRosi Doviverata
Editor-in-chiefRosi Doviverata
News editorRosi Doviverata
Managing editor, designNaisa Koroi
Director of InteractiveRosi Doviverata
Sports editorLeone Cabenatabua
FoundedSeptember 1999
Political alignmentCentre
Bainimarama era:
Pro-Bainimarama
LanguageEnglish (primary), Fijian
Headquarters20 Gorrie Street, Suva, Fiji
Circulation25,000 (as of 2011)[1]
Websitewww.fijisun.com.fj

The Fiji Sun has its main newsroom in Suva, Fiji.[4] Its print center remains in suburban Walu Bay, from where the paper was founded in September 1999.[3]

The Fiji Sun also has an online edition which is updated daily. An e-paper edition is also published.[5][6]

Politics

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Fijian politics

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The Fiji Sun tends to be supportive of Frank Bainimarama's FijiFirst party, which has been confirmed by a journalist for the Fiji Sun in 2014.[7] This has led to many accusations of media bias.[8]

During the lead-ups to the 2014 and 2018 general elections, the Fiji Sun was the main provider of opinion polls for these elections, which were conducted for the newspaper by Razor Research in 2014 and Western Force Research in 2018. In the lead-up to the 2022 election, the Fiji Sun released very few opinion polls compared to in 2014 and 2018 due to restrictions adopted by the government. In 2022, one poll conducted for the Fiji Sun by Western Force Research was found to have breached the set guidelines.[9]

Foreign politics

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Due to Australia's sanctions against Fiji enforced by the Labor governments of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard following the 2006 coup d'état, the Fiji Sun was critical of the federal Labor government and was somewhat supportive of Tony Abbott and the Coalition. The Fiji Sun endorsed Abbott at the 2010[10] and 2013 federal elections.[11] This was primarily due to Abbott's commitment to normalising relations between the two countries, which prompted Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to personally endorse Abbott on both occasions. After Abbott's landslide victory in 2013 and the return of democratic elections in Fiji in 2014, relations were normalised.

For a similar reason to the Australia, the Fiji Sun was also critical of the New Zealand National Party government, led by John Key.[12] However, the Fiji Sun's position changed when Key's government normalised relations between the two countries in 2014.

During the lead-up to the 2016 United States presidential election, the Fiji Sun was somewhat supportive of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and somewhat critical of Donald Trump. The Fiji Sun endorsed Clinton for the election.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "FIJI: Fiji Sun shines in big newspaper awards". Pacific Media Centre. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b Singh, Shailendra; Lal, Nilesh (28 July 2022). News Coverage of Fiji’s 2018 General Election Campaign: Insights from a Content Analysis of the National Print and Broadcast Media (PDF) (Report). pp. 2–3. doi:10.25911/6NXR-CM05. Retrieved 29 May 2023. In the print sector, the two major privately owned English-language dailies are The Fiji Times and the Fiji Sun. [...] The Fiji Sun was launched in September 1999 and is owned by Sun News Limited. The major shareholder, the CJ Patel Group of Companies, is a multi-sector company with food procurement and distribution operations across Fiji and the Pacific (Narsey 7/2/2013). The Fiji Sun does not have independently audited sales figures, although in 2011 it received a Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers' Association advertising award in the 25,000-circulation category (PMW 19/8/2011).
  3. ^ a b "A Brand Recognised As A Leader In Media Innovation". Fiji Sun. Fiji Sun. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Sun (Fiji) News Limited - Contact Us".
  5. ^ "Fiji Sun e-Paper".
  6. ^ "Fiji Sun. Letters. Archive: God, Dushah Pockvigum, etc".
  7. ^ "Fiji Sun sides with Bainimarama". Radio New Zealand. 6 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Slippery slope for Fiji's media in politically charged climate | Asia Pacific Report".
  9. ^ "The Electoral Commission Finds That the Fiji Sun Breaches the Opinion Poll Guidelines".
  10. ^ "Oh, no, not Kevin Rudd again".
  11. ^ "Tony Abbott for PM".
  12. ^ "Key, Rudd win on Fiji, sport loser".
  13. ^ "Two Cheers for Hillary and Hope".