Media in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea has a fragmented media system with formal services, commercial providers, state broadcasting, church publishing, industry self-regulation and informal online participation. The National is a weekday English newspaper with headquarters in Port Moresby and five centres. The Post-Courier is a daily national paper with a separate online news unit. Wantok Niuspepa is a weekly Tok Pisin newspaper distributed nationwide and published by Word Publishing; its publisher states a price of K1 per copy and more than 6,000 copies per week. Print reach is especially relevant in urban, civic and local-language contexts, while publisher circulation figures are not independent proof of current national access. The National Broadcasting Corporation, or NBC, provides radio, television and online services, including provincial stations, news radio on 90.7 FM and 585 AM, and NBC Radio Online. NBC began a digital television transition in 2024. EMTV provides private television and digital media, with a satellite feed reaching 38 centres according to its stated coverage. Digicel TV offers paid direct-to-home and digital terrestrial television packages that include TVWAN, NBC and EMTV. Its 60-channel package is restricted to direct-to-home or digital terrestrial access in Port Moresby, while other centres have more limited availability. Historical estimates such as EMTV's approximately 45% population reach based on the 2000 Census do not prove current coverage. Online viewing is available through NBC Online, EMTV Online and iGoEMTV live or catch-up services, as well as Digicel television services. Papua New Guinea has no evidenced locally dominant standalone streaming service. Online access requires a compatible device, data or broadband and service availability, so coverage and affordability often matter more than the name of the platform. NICTA's 2025 ICT Indicators report, covering 2024, recorded 53% total mobile penetration, 27% mobile broadband penetration, about 2.2 million mobile broadband subscriptions and 81% 3G or 4G population coverage. These figures do not mean that every person has affordable or reliable internet access. The report recorded higher mobile subscription levels in the National Capital District than in the Highlands, Momase, Islands and Southern regions. A World Bank and ITU internet-use figure of 19% for 2024 measures something different from mobile subscriptions and network coverage. The Department of Information and Communications Technology develops policy. The National Information and Communications Technology Authority, known as NICTA, handles ICT and broadcasting licensing, spectrum matters and consumer redress. The Office of Censorship administers publication, film and media classification under the Classification of Publication (Censorship) Act 1989. The Media Council of Papua New Guinea, or MCPNG, provides industry self-regulation. Its 2024 Code of Ethics and Professional Practice covers print, radio, television, internet and other media. The code addresses accuracy, source attribution, balance, separation of fact and comment, verification of social-media material, corrections, apologies, right of reply, consent, privacy, dignity, protection of children and vulnerable people, and copyright. It binds MCPNG members but is not a statutory press regulator. The Constitution protects freedom of expression, publication, press and mass media under section 46 and provides for reasonable media access. Section 49 protects privacy, while section 51 concerns access to official documents subject to listed secrecy grounds. Section 47 protects assembly and association. Restrictions remain subject to constitutional requirements and legislation. The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act 2000 protects works, performances, sound recordings and broadcasts through economic and moral rights. Quotation, teaching and informatory-use exceptions depend on the Act; outside an exception, permission and attribution are generally required. Broadcasters, performers and producers may hold neighbouring rights, and traditional cultural expressions and folklore also receive protection. The Office of Censorship can classify publications, films and other media and control prohibited content. NICTA's online-safety guidance recommends parental controls, supervision of shared devices, privacy measures, blocking and reporting, preservation of evidence and escalation to a trusted adult or NICTA. Young people can participate online, but safe access requires attention to harmful content, privacy, exploitation and platform reporting. The National Social Media Policy 2025 was endorsed through NEC Decision 184/2025 and proposes age restrictions and classification, safeguards for children and vulnerable groups, misinformation controls, platform accountability, a National e-Safety Directorate, an inter-agency taskforce and possible SevisPass or digital-ID access. In 2026, the legal framework was still under discussion between DICT and the Office of Censorship, so the proposed controls should not be treated as fully operative rules. Media providers use different access and licensing arrangements. NICTA lists content-licence categories for free television, subscription television, national, provincial and district radio, narrowcasting and community services. Published 2010 regulation fees included K5,000 for a commercial application, K500 for a solely not-for-profit application, K500 for a variation and K200 for a change of particulars; spectrum and other fees are separate, and a fee review was under consultation in 2025 and 2026. NICTA guidance indicates processing times of approximately 5 to 60 days depending on licence type. These licensing rules concern providers and media services, not a universal licence for ordinary newspaper readers or social-media users. Free-to-air NBC and EMTV services remain free where the signal and equipment are available. Digicel TV requires payment for its relevant package. Online viewing adds provider charges and mobile-data or broadband costs. Print prices and subscriptions depend on the publisher; Wantok Niuspepa has publicly stated K1 per copy and K52 for a monthly subscription, but prices and availability should be checked locally. The Universal Access and Service Broadcasting Initiative sets planning targets for radio signal reach to 100% of the population and free-to-air television in every district capital and at least one local-level government area per district by 2027. These are targets, not evidence that the coverage already exists. For a mobile, internet or broadcasting-service problem, the customer should first complain to the provider and keep the reference number, charges and relevant service evidence. An unresolved complaint can be taken to NICTA; its consumer process is free and confidential and may investigate the matter. An ethical complaint about a media outlet should first go to that outlet and then, where applicable, to the Independent Complaints Tribunal for a breach involving an MCPNG member. Cybercrime and urgent child-harm concerns require police or platform reporting rather than an ordinary editorial complaint. Participation includes reading, watching, listening, publishing, commenting, sharing and submitting user content. The MCPNG code recognizes a right of reply in relevant cases. The National Media Development Policy 2024 proposes mechanisms such as a National Media Commission, Government Media Advisory Committee, National Media Content Committee, accreditation, training and local-content support, but reviewed evidence does not confirm an independent National Media Commission operating by September 2026. Radio, mobile services and social media are especially significant for rural, emergency and local-content access. Fixed broadband remains less central, while Tok Pisin and community media support wider participation. Language affects access to media content, but media distribution and language policy are separate subjects.