{{Short description|Tongan journalist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox journalist | name = Kalafi Moala | image = | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|41|1989|7|1}}<ref name=":0" /> | occupation = Journalist | years_active = 1989–present | employer = Radio New Zealand (current) | known_for = Founder of ''Times of Tonga'' }}
'''Kalafi Moala''' is a Tongan journalist who founded the Times of Tonga, and was later jailed by the Tongan government for contempt of parliament. He later worked for Radio New Zealand and founded an investigative journalism website.
== Biography == Before becoming a journalist, Moala worked as a Christian missionary in Hawaii, Hong Kong, Japan and Papua New Guinea.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |date=July 1989 |title=Tonga's newest paper |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-340351831/view?sectionId=nla.obj-344636462&partId=nla.obj-340370228#page/n45/mode/1up |journal=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=59 |issue=18 |pages=46 |access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>
In 1989, Moala founded the ''Times of Tonga'', an independent newspaper, becoming its majority shareholder and editor-in-chief.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2014-01-01 |title=Kalafi Moala |url=https://rsf.org/en/protagonist-kalafi-moala |access-date=2025-05-12 |publisher=Reporters Without Borders |language=en}}</ref> In 1996, the Legislative Assembly of Tonga sentenced him and his deputy editor-in-chief to one month in prison for contempt of parliament, after the ''Times of Tonga'' published the text of a no confidence motion against justice minister Tevita Poasi Tupou.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2021-06-30 |title=Kingdom of Tonga: Two journalists and a parliamentarian jailed over media criticism of Government Minister |url=https://www.amnesty.org/fr/documents/ASA40/001/1996/en/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Amnesty International |language=fr}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Field |first=Michael |date=November 1996 |title=Sign of the times? |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-343794589/view?sectionId=nla.obj-346008871&partId=nla.obj-343820374#page/n24/mode/1up |journal=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=66 |issue=11 |pages=25–27}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2023-05-04 |title=Journalists around region mark progress but warn of potential new barriers |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/489255/journalists-around-region-mark-progress-but-warn-of-potential-new-barriers |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref> ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, a pro-democracy politician who proposed the motion and delivered its text to the paper, was also given the same sentence. Amnesty International called for their release, describing them as prisoners of conscience.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> While in prison, Moala continued to write articles on toilet paper to smuggle out to visitors for publication.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> The three were released four days ahead of schedule after the chief justice of Tonga ruled that their imprisonment was unconstitutional.<ref name=":3" />
In 2003, the ''Times of Tonga'' was banned by the government from being distributed in Tonga. ʻEseta Fusituʻa, a government spokesperson, maintained that the newspaper was legally a foreign product as Moala was at the time based in New Zealand and had US citizenship. Moala took issue with the government's description, describing it as "crazy" and "quite insulting" to him as a native Tongan.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-02-28 |title=Publisher of banned Tongan paper objects to being labelled a foreigner |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/142633/publisher-of-banned-tongan-paper-objects-to-being-labelled-a-foreigner |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref> The ban was lifted in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-10-12 |title=Taimi 'o Tonga newspaper to go back on sale in Tonga |url=https://matangitonga.to/2004/10/12/taimi-o-tonga-newspaper-go-back-sale-tonga |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Matangi Tonga |language=en}}</ref> In 2009, Moala acquired the ''Tonga Chronicle'', the country's oldest newspaper, from the state.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-03-18 |title=Tonga's Taimi Media Network to take over Tonga Chronicle on Friday |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/182577/tonga's-taimi-media-network-to-take-over-tonga-chronicle-on-friday |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref>
In 2014, Moala launched a talk radio station known as {{lang|to|Leʻo ʻo Tonga}} ("Voice of Tonga"), which he said would be a "pro democracy station".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-19 |title=Tonga gets new talk radio station |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/20150363/tonga-gets-new-talk-radio-station |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref> He briefly worked as a media adviser to Pōhiva and his Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, which gained power at the end of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-12-30 |title=Tonga's new PM being sworn in |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/262803/tonga's-new-pm-being-sworn-in |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2017-05-29 |title=Former adviser calls for Tongan PM to resign |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/331780/former-adviser-calls-for-tongan-pm-to-resign |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref> Moala later distanced himself from Pōhiva's government, calling for his resignation in 2017 for "incompetence" and attacks on the media.<ref name=":5" />
In 2019, Moala sold his newspaper and radio station to go into what he described as "semi-retirement".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-04 |title=Tongan journalism stalwart steps down |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018698053/tongan-journalism-stalwart-steps-down |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref> He later joined Radio New Zealand, becoming its Tonga correspondent.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Don |date=2025-05-01 |title=Calls for Tonga to rethink Sabbath observance laws |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/559599/calls-for-tonga-to-rethink-sabbath-observance-laws |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz |quote=We asked our Tonga correspondent Kalafi Moala what prompted the recent concern.}}</ref> In 2021, he founded {{lang|to|Talanoa ‘o Tonga}}, an investigative journalism website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State of the Pacific 2021 |url=https://bellschool.anu.edu.au/dpa/content-centre/research/state-pacific-2021 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-26 |title=About Talanoa O Tonga - Your Trusted Source for Tonga & Pacific News |url=https://talanoaotonga.to/about/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Talanoa ‘o Tonga |language=en-US |author1=Webmaster }}</ref> In March 2024, Moala described King Tupou VI's revocation of the appointment of Siaosi Sovaleni as armed forces minister as a "retrograde step".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-26 |title=King's move takes Tonga back to the 'dark ages' - democracy campaigner |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/512703/king-s-move-takes-tonga-back-to-the-dark-ages-democracy-campaigner |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref>
In September 2024, Moala was elected president of the Pacific Islands News Association, a regional association of media outlets in the Pacific region.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-27 |title=Kalafi Moala elected new PINA President as new board takes shape at Niue summit |url=https://www.postcourier.com.pg/kalafi-moala-elected-new-pina-president-as-new-board-takes-shape-at-niue-summit/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Post Courier |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Portalbar|Journalism}} Category:1940s births Category:Living people Category:Amnesty International prisoners of conscience Category:Tongan journalists Category:20th-century Tongan writers Category:21st-century Tongan writers {{DEFAULTSORT:Moala, Kalafi}}