Cullighan Tanda. Source: Facebook
The sudden termination of a prominent radio host from a state-owned media company in Papua New Guinea was described by media groups as a suppression of free speech.
FM100 (Kalang Advertising Limited) host Cullighan Tanda was initially suspended for three weeks after he interviewed opposition politician Allan Bird, who is the governor of East Sepik in Papua New Guinea. Tanda questioned the suspension and expressed “deep concern over the manner in which the disciplinary matter has been executed.” He was subsequently fired from his job.
FM100 is part of Telikom PNG Limited, a state-owned media company.
Neville Choi, president of the country’s Media Council, has condemned the “practice of silencing and suppressing media personnel who work for government-owned media organisations.”
A free, robust, and independent media is an essential pillar of democracy. It is the cornerstone of allowing freedom of speech, and freedom of expression. Being in a position of power and authority gives no one, especially brown-nosing public servants wanting to score brownie points with the sitting government administration, the right to suppress media workers who are only doing their jobs, and doing it well.
Choi mentioned previous cases involving journalists who also faced sanctions for posting critical reports.
In a Facebook post, Bird insisted that he said nothing slanderous or libelous in his interview with Tanda. He called for a “passive protest” by boycotting the businesses of Telikom PNG Limited.
It is frightening the road our country is taking in relation to the ruling cartels actions against journalists.
I am deeply disappointed in the way their management have responded especially when we met his CEO before the show and he could have objected then.
I now make a call on all PNGans to do a passive protest against these actions by government agents.
X (Twitter) user Adrian X uploaded the letter of complaint of Tanda and demanded to know the names of officials who pressured FM100.
The CEO of Kalang Advertising Limited should give us names of these people from the top. Who are they protecting? Why haven't released a press statement on the reasons behind Culligan's suspension and now termination? Something terribly fishy is going on.
Pacific Freedom Forum chair Robert Iroga condemned the firing and asserted the need to uphold editorial independence.
Oversight and management of newsrooms should not lead to muzzling and sacking of journalists, without process or accountability.
Editorial independence is what we get when journalists are allowed to be journalists. This is key to ensuring truth continues to deliver thriving democracies, credible governments, and informed people.
Fiji journalist John Rabuatoka expressed solidarity with Tanda.
When Cullighan asked management to point out any code of conduct he had supposedly breached, he was sacked. No explanation. No transparency. Just silence and censorship. All his boss said was “Pressure from the top”.
This is not just about one journalist, it’s about press freedom under attack in PNG and the Pacific. It is undemocratic for any government to interfere with the media, let alone punish professionals for giving voice to all sides of the story.
The Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Communication has set up an inquiry into the matter. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has also ordered a probe and added that he knows nothing about the issue.
Papua New Guinea is ranked 78th in the 2025 Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders.
