On August 2, a journalist and camera operator with Papua New Guinea’s National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) were injured after being shot in the village of 9-Mile, near the nation’s capital of Port Moresby. Witnesses said around six gunshots were fired in two bursts at approximately 1pm as the journalists took lunch. One of three initial shots grazed the NBC camera operator, before striking senior NBC journalist Gwendella Rea in her right forearm.
PNG assistant commissioner of Police, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, said the police were investigating the incident. Both the MCPNG and the NBC are assisting police efforts. The motivation behind the attacks is unclear, though reports suggest that the media workers were caught in a line of fire between unidentified assailants.
Rea was transported by staff of PNG Power LTD to Paradise Private Hospital in Port Moresby. The state-owned energy entity is reported to be covering the costs of her treatment. The journalist sustained a fracture in her left arm and was admitted for medical observation.
The Media Council of Papua New Guinea (MCPNG) called for greater respect and protection for journalists in the wake of the shooting, advocating for greater safety measures for members of the press during media tours.
The IFJ said: “It is paramount that the PNG authorities promptly investigate this incident and find the perpetrators.”