Web news overcomes Fiji blackout

Fijilive: Breaking the news of the coup attempt

By BBC News Online's Martin Asser

When a coup happens somewhere as remote as the South Pacific island of Fiji, the world's media might be expected to suffer from a severe information shortage.

But thanks to Fijilive.com, a small independent online news site, the world - including the BBC - has been reading updates of what is going on every 15 minutes.

We're just a group of hardworking journalists and young people

Yashwant Gaunder

"We are not taking sides," said managing director Yashwant Gaunder in an email message to BBC News Online. "Information is coming through our reporters at the scene and radio news broadcasts by coup leaders."

Yashwant says that Fijilive had also been holding an online forum but withdrew it after the contributions "were getting racial".

Risking a bashing

It has been a difficult job as the capital Suva has been put under curfew and the terrestrial telephone system has not been operating all the time. But internet connections - Fijilive's server is in the US - have been reliable.

Site's pictures of the plotters were flashed round the world

"Our journalist was at the press conference at Parliament and got us the speech (of coup leader George Speight)," Yashwant says. "She was talking to me via mobile phone."

More old-fashioned methods have been in operation too - the team has a driver who has braved hostility on the streets of Suva, "where people threatened to bash him up".

Net importance

The site is connected to a local political and business magazine, Review. That has been going for eight years, while the web site was started 14 months ago "because we saw the growing importance of the net".

Breakdown of order in the streets of Suva

"We are a commercial organisation," Yashwant adds. "Independent - not supported by big business or anyone - just a group of hardworking journalists and young people."

He says the project has already spent $250,000 with money coming from sister companies and Review.

During quieter times the site's five senior journalists spend most of their time working on Review, and "only do web site work when necessary".

Other web sites from the same stable include ones for e-commerce, business news, domain names, tourism, soccer and last but not least a site for online dating (love.com.fj).