ROLE MODELS IN THE MEDIA

It is very pleasing to read the Papua New Guinea newspaper the

Weekend Courier to find that it has found a very special role of its

own.

The newspaper is focusing on role models from the PNG community

past and present who devoted their lives to improving family, school,

church, youth group, parliament, hospital and much more.

The journalists are digging deep to find the real person from the point

of view of family, parishioners and colleagues. They are showing the

qualities that the rest of the community should follow to be successful

like those men and women in the newspaper articles.

At times, the people have died and the newspaper report has been a

eulogy from the family. Before Mother’s Day, there were reports on

the love families have for mothers. Let us hope that fathers get the

same praise on Father’s Day.

The focus of the Weekend Courier is on family and for this due credit

has to be given. The community has great and desperate need for role

models for families, husbands/fathers, wives/mothers, sons /daughters.

It is time for the churches and other organizations to take up the same

approach. They should set up role models in the organizations to show

the selflessness and commitment of those still living and who have gone

before.

Community does not consist of drunken, cheating, womanizing, violent

thieves who steal whatever they can. There are honourable people out

there.

There has been the view that most successful men are fat and waddle

like giant ducks. But they are dying of strokes and heart attacks.

We read of people living longest by eating small amounts and watching
their diet. An old lady was quoted as saying that on her 114th birthday
overseas. The old man on the Kokoda Track at Naduri is 104 years
old and says just that.