Papua New Guinea prime minister requires journalists prevent calling him

Brady Knox

September 02, 12:08 PM September 02, 12:09 PM

The business office of Papua New Guinea's prime minister acquired a whole-web site advertisement in two big area newspapers, demanding journalists to cease contacting and texting him.

The observe was printed in the Papua New Guinea Put up-Courier and the National newspapers, in accordance to the VFAB, and it was also despatched out in WhatsApp group chats for journalists. The statement advised all journalists to immediate their inquiries to Key Minister James Marape's office environment, instead than to him immediately. If reporters fall short to heed this warning, it explained, their entry to the prime minister would be constrained as punishment.

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“This round is to advise all associates of the media fraternity, both equally nationwide and intercontinental, that the Primary Minister Hon. James Marape MP will no lengthier accept immediate push enquiries from the day of this correspondence onwards,” a photograph of the recognize, posted by the VFAB, confirmed.

The reasoning behind the discover appears to be to be for efficiency's sake, with the statement stressing the will need to streamline press inquiries. Marape himself was at the rear of the observe.

“The prime minister has been accommodating and has responded openly to our media ever because he took office environment in 2019,” the statement examine. “We would like to proceed this partnership by streamlining your queries to our relevant ministries.”

Some of the public took problem with the announcement, while other folks pointed out that it was regular practice for virtually all governments.

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“Being a [journalist] does not give you the proper to go straight to the PM and text him as your good friend," a reporter in the WhatsApp team the place the assertion was produced claimed, according to the VFAB.

Regardless of what the case, the impression of a pissed off head of state demanding that journalists end spamming his personal cellular phone may perhaps be amusing to lots of.