Fiji, Sept. 24 -- Fiji Times Editor Fred Wesley has warned that restoring press freedom is not enough if newsrooms do not rebuild the confidence to ask hard questions and engage directly with the public.

Speaking at the Pacific Media Summit plenary on Beyond News Coverage: The Role of the Media for Democratic Resilience and Engagemen t, Wesley said 16 years of media restrictions in Fiji had left lasting damage to journalism, public trust and the country's ability to fight misinformation.

"Freedom that is not exercised is not freedom. It is only permission," Wesley said.

He recalled the period after the 2006 coup when government censors were placed inside The Fiji Times newsroom to review stories before publication.

When stories were r...