Through the test of ‘Times’
GEORGE Littleton Griffiths had a vision. Fresh from Christchurch in New Zealand in 1869, he arrived in Levuka to a little town that was far different from anything he had experienced before.
History tells us of a little town that was the focal point of development in our region at the time.
This gentleman started the process that gave birth to a product that would stand the test of time.
He believed in himself and threw caution to the wind, laying the platform for The Fiji Times, on September 4, 1869.
Mr Griffiths died on March 30, 1908, aged 63.
His memory though lives on in not only the monument that stands on his grave, but also in the institution he started, and his ideals, and views on journalism, live on in the staff of The Fiji Times today.
We are motivated to continue the great work he started, live his vision, and uphold and value the ideals of good journalism. The journalistic impulse I would like to think is alive. We believe that journalism can be a route to the truth.
Without this, we set a precedence that can be dangerous — of conflict because power is not held to account, and those with vested interests run free.
This is why, sometimes, awkward questions, and a desire to get some semblance of order or some balance between opinion and truth are important.
We believe there is value in hard news, distinguishing journalism from just any other activity or opinion.
We realise that our audience have a proclivity to now surf the net, or fall back on social media platforms.
In the face of that, we would like to be here for the things that matter. That means doing more than just breaking stories. We have to focus on doing the background work, pushing up the ante on finding things out.
We want an interactive digital platform. We want the same for our hard copy. We need to be progressive, which is a massive challenge.
Nothing is off-limits in terms of the subject matter for news.
We have to make it relevant to our audience, interesting and thought-provoking.
There is also the element of trust that must be nurtured and encouraged.
We accept that our journalists cannot shy away from the sometimes volatile relationship between the State and the media.
In saying that, we expect a sense of appreciation of the need for balance, and fairness, removing all emotional attachments to the subject.
We acknowledge the fact that there are many people who work behind the scenes, from the various departments that make up the Fiji Times company, advertisers and supporters, to our newspaper sellers, and Fijians who provide us with news tips.
As a newspaper, we are committed to our role to disseminate information that will allow our readers to make well informed decisions on a daily basis.
We accept that with great power there must be a greater sense of responsibility.
We are not anti-government, and neither are we progovernment. We are very much pro-Fiji.
I take this opportunity to thank all our readers and friends for your support and loyalty to The Fiji Times brand.
We are motivated by this to do our best for our people, and our nation, and we hope you will continue this journey with us. Together we can make a difference.