Outspoken businesswoman, Moe Lei Sam, has leapt to the defense of the media against comments from the Prime Minister that they are “lazy” and “ai afu.”

“These comments are very immature and stupid and especially coming from the mouth of a leader of a country,” she told the Samoa Observer.

“He is selfish and greedy as far as I’m concerned. That’s what he is.”

Ms. Lei Sam said the media are just doing their job.

“This is the media’s job to report the bad and the good,” she said.

“The Prime Minister said reporting on incest and rape will make the image of Samoa bad to the tourists. So he wants to sweep it under the carpet and pretend that everything is going smooth.

“What about the victims? 

“To tell you the truth, everything that is happening in this country I know it from the media and that is their job. They are doing what they are supposed to do and that is to inform the people about what is going on.”

Ms. Lei Sam it doesn’t matter if the world knows what is happening in Samoa.

“So what if the world knows of what is happening in Samoa? We cannot report only on how beautiful Samoa is and all those lies when we know the truth that there are young girls who are being molested, brothers and sisters have an affair and all that.

“We cannot just sweep the truth under the carpet and pretend all is well in paradise.

“We have to protect our children. That should be our country’s main concern is the safety of the young boys and girls, from strangers and from their own family members.”

She went on to say that if the media does not report on such issues then Samoa would never be a safe place anymore.

“The media are the voice of the voiceless and we don’t have an opposition anymore so the media is playing the part of the opposition,” she said.

“I was very furious when I heard him calling the media lazy, I mean Mr. Prime Minister look in the mirror who is lazy here and who is the “ai afu” here?

“These people working in the media industry are professional and they love what they do just like Mr. Prime Minister who loves being a politician it is the same as the people working in the media.

“Instead of criticizing the media and calling them names why not applaud them for the work that they do because it’s a 24/7 job and most especially it is risky.

“We should appreciate all the hard work that the media is putting in to inform people of what is actually happening in Samoa.