Transcript
In a statement on Tuesday, the TV channel's owners say the Head of News and Current affairs had been replaced.
"EMTV management also confirms that Mr Choi's termination has no association with political motives and is a disciplinary action taken for non-compliance by Mr Choi towards EMTV's company HR policies. EMTV management is confident of Mr Tulo's appointment as Acting News Manager and will continue to support him and the overall News Department."
Kora Nou is the head of the regional Pacific Islands News Association. I asked him about Neville Choi.
"Neville is the Head, I mean 'was', the Head of EMTV News and Current Affairs. And we've heard that he's been terminated by EMTV."
"Okay, and he also has a role on the Papua New Guinea Media Council is that right?
"Yeah he, Neville's the President of the PNG Media Council, so yeah you can't go any higher than that in the PNG media."
Kora Nou says he wouldn't read too much into the fact that Mr Choi had just attended a Censorship Board meeting just prior to his sacking.
He says Mr Choi is a member of the Censorship Board as part of his role as head of the PNG Media Council.
He says he has spoken to all the parties involved and PINA had offered to help mediate the situation.
"PINA'S taken a line to act more as an intermediary in terms of talking to the parties to try to resolve the issue because we feel that it can be amicably resolved if the parties get together as soon as they can to iron out the issues that they have."
The Chair of the Pacific Freedom Forum, Bernadette Carreon, says the sudden firing of a senior journalist raised serious questions.
"Because he has been there for 30 years it will also affect the quality of news service in PNG and at the same time it feels like its so sudden. And it feels sketchy of the reason why he was terminated."
Speaking from Palau she says there has been a lot of controversial news in PNG lately but it is the media's role to question authority on behalf of the public.
"The role of the media, our master is the people and we should be reporting what concerns the people. And if it curtails the press freedom, yes we're questioning that."
She says journalists in PNG are stood in solidarity with Mr Choi and the PFF called for the PNG Communications Minister to intervene.
However by Thursday morning there had been a u-turn by EMTV owners in a letter to Mr Choi that was widely circulated.
"With reference to an assessment done by KTHL Group Chief HR Officer, this letter is to confirm your reinstatement to the position of Head of News and Current Affairs with Media Niugini Limited EMTV. Your reinstatement will also be subject to further investigations based on Group Chief HR Officer findings."
Lae Bureau Chief for EMTV Scott Waide, who was sacked and then re-instated in November, says controversy around APEC coverage and Defence Force pay as well as Mr Choi's commitments to the Censorship board are all related to the latest stoush.
He says news broadcasts on EMTV were impacted this week due to reporters' united outrage.
"So it was a gradual shutdown on Monday no local content, on Tuesday there was no news at all they replayed Monday's news. And on Wednesday the company decided to hire a few other reporters and an anchor. It was quite difficult for them to find an anchor who was willing."
He says journalists stand together in solidarity to resist attempts to shut stories down but it's been a struggle to steer clear of political interference.
"We had problems with the previous government. There was a lot of pressure and we had to go through that for almost a decade, eight years in total. So things have gradually changed since James Marape took office. And having said that, they're still politicians and we will keep them at an arm's length."
Scott Waide says local journalists are all very happy about Mr Choi's reinstatement and are keen to get back to work so normal transmission can resume at EMTV news.
This is Jenny Meyer.
