Media in Samoa

Samoa has a fragmented but established media system rather than one institution responsible for every medium. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) works on communications policy, information and communications technology, government broadcasting and online safety. The Office of the Regulator (OOTR) handles telecommunications, broadcasting, spectrum, licences and consumer matters. The Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet provides government information through its Press and Communications function and the Savali newspaper. The Media Council of Samoa, linked to the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS), supports journalistic standards, complaints procedures and professional self-regulation. Private companies, churches, the National University of Samoa (NUS) and community groups also produce or distribute media. Press access includes the Samoa Observer, a private print and online news provider, and Savali, a government weekly newspaper published in Samoan and English, with a monthly Samoan edition that includes information about the Land and Titles Court. Print and online availability, prices and delivery can vary. Samoa should not be treated as having a general freedom-of-information process unless the applicable authority confirms one for the specific request; a verified general Freedom of Information Act was not identified in the available legal review. Broadcasting is governed by the Broadcasting Act 2010. OOTR licensing categories include community radio, non-commercial radio, commercial radio and subscription television. Its broadcaster listings include commercial, non-commercial and community radio, including NUS FM and Radio 2AP; free-to-air television services such as TV1, TV2, TV3, TV4, TV5, TV6, TV7, TV8, TV9 and TV10; subscription IPTV through Moana TV; and subscription satellite services through Digicel and Sky Pacific. Licence status, fees and coverage should be checked directly with OOTR because they can change. Radio 2AP has operated since 1947 and provides government and emergency information as well as cultural programming. TV9 is government television. Government and broadcast services may also distribute material through social media and the ZENO APP, but a government broadcast function is not the same as an independent journalistic perspective. Free-to-air viewing may avoid a subscription charge, but it still requires a suitable device, electricity and a usable signal. Internet access supports online newspapers, social media, streaming and other services. The 2021 Population and Housing Census reported internet access in 85.7% of households, television access in 68.8% and radio access in 31.7%. The 2023 Household Income and Expenditure Survey counted 102,294 people aged three or older who used the internet and 106,739 people who used a mobile phone. These measures have different reference groups and methods and should not be combined as if they measured the same thing. Device prices, electricity, data costs, coverage, bandwidth and digital skills still create unequal access, especially between locations and households. Local functional equivalents of streaming include subscription IPTV and satellite services. Global streaming platforms may also be reachable, but Samoa-specific availability, catalogues, prices, payment methods and data consumption are not uniform enough to assume universal access. Social media is used by government channels, radio stations and television newsrooms for distribution. Platform terms and moderation rules apply, and user-generated material is not automatically journalism. Risks include misinformation, harassment, impersonation, doxxing, non-consensual image sharing, privacy breaches and loss of account control. Journalistic complaints can involve the Media Council under the Media Council Act 2015 and its Code of Practice. The Council's process is not a court judgment, and ordinary legal rights and remedies may also apply. Relevant legal context includes Article 13 of the Constitution, the Defamation Act 1993, the Newspapers and Printers Act 1993 and the Broadcasting Act 2010. Freedom of speech and expression may be subject to reasonable restrictions concerning matters such as national security, public order or morals, confidential information, contempt of court, defamation and incitement. The Copyright Act 1998 protects works, audiovisual material and sound recordings; broadcasting covers radio, television, satellite and internet transmission, but copyright does not give automatic permission to repost another person's material. Young people encounter media through mobile phones, social media, radio, television, schools, families and community settings. MCIT provides online-safety resources in Samoan and English. The Cyber SMART Samoa Roadshow has worked with colleges, students, parent-teacher associations, teachers and parents, churches, elders and communities in Savai'i. NUS FM provides a community and youth-oriented broadcasting channel. Cyberbullying, grooming, sexual exploitation, harmful content, privacy violations and missing consent require prompt attention; an acute threat should be reported to Samoa Police or the relevant child-protection service after confirming the local reporting process. People can participate by sending a news tip or letter to the Samoa Observer, contacting Savali or the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, joining radio call-ins, submitting material to community, church or NUS formats, responding to OOTR or MCIT consultations, or using the Media Council complaint process. Language, disability, island or rural location, bandwidth, devices, literacy, moderation and personal safety can affect participation. Samoan-language and local community channels may therefore provide access that a purely online or English-only channel does not. Media access and rights in Samoa depend on the specific provider, service, location and use. Confirm current licences, coverage, charges, subscription conditions, catalogue access, complaint deadlines and legal requirements with the relevant body before relying on them. Samoa has no verified single media regulator, universal streaming entitlement, universal social-media right, central media admission system or general privacy and freedom-of-information framework established by the available research.