Ita, Tonga's first broadsheet newspaper [1]
Saturday, March 3, 2012 - 17:30. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Ita, a new English newspaper, was launched by the owner Joseph Ramanlal and the guest of honor, the Minister of Police Hon Lisiate 'Akolo, at Longolongo yesterday afternoon, March 2.
The editor, Iliesa Tora, said that the 20 pages weekly newspaper is the first broadsheet newspaper for Tonga. It will cover national, regional and world news, and there will be a page dedicated for youth.
"Our aim is that the news we cover will make positive changes in Tonga, the youths and the society as a whole, and raise issues that are important to the people in their daily lives from health, sports to economic," he said.
The newspaper will be distributed in Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai and 'Eua, and also among Tongans in New Zealand and Australia soon.
The Ita becomes Tonga's only English newspaper, after the government-owned English weekly newspaper, the Tongan Chronicle ceased publication in 2011.
Joseph said the newspaper was a dream of his two sons, Ramanlal and Soane.
The Ita,Tonga's fourth weekly newspaper, is printed in Nuku'alofa by JR Web Press, also owned by Joseph and his sons.
The name. Ita, is derived from Fifita, after Joseph's daughter Fifita, who died in a road accident in 2007.