Samoan Reporter

The London Missionary Society (LMS) began evangelising in Samoa when missionary John Williams (1796-1838) arrived in Savai'i in 1830. Well before the first commercial newspaper was launched in Samoa, the LMS decided to publish the Samoan Reporter, the first issue appearing in August 1845. The paper of four (occasionally six) pages, was set out in three columns and printed locally at the LMS printery at Leulumoega on Upolu Island. 

As the Auckland Times noted on 23 August 1845, on viewing the first issue: 'A paper published half-yearly is a novelty in these days, but the Samoans wisely cut their coats according to their cloth. The typographical appearances of this paper would do credit to Printing House Square' (Auckland Times, 23 August 1845:3).

The further report on the same page of the Auckland Times provided more background.

'….with a view to augment the efficiency of their mission…it was resolved that an English journal should be forthwith commenced, and continued half-yearly, to be designated, The Samoan Reporter, and to be edited by Mr. Heath; not with a view to its formal publication, but for private circulation. It was judged that in addition to periodic reports of their respective districts by the brethren, it might furnish an appropriate channel for the propagation of other useful intelligence, not merely in the shape of Polynesian news, commonly so called, but also relative to the history, manners, customs, &c, as well of this, as of other groups. The general wish for information on these subjects, and especially in connection with Christian missions, is evinced – by the extensive sale of numerous missionary publications ….' (Auckland Times, 23 August 1845:3).

Unlike O le Sulu Samoa, a LMS Church magazine written in Samoan and first published in 1839, the Samoan Reporter was primarily written in English because its aim was to communicate with other missionaries and British people interested in the mission’s work, rather than as a way of communicating with the Samoan population. By 1842 there were 15 LMS missionaries around Samoa. 

The Mr Heath mentioned in the Auckland Times article was Reverend Thomas Heath (?-1848), who arrived in Samoa in 1836. After his death in 1848, editorial responsibilities shifted to Reverend George Turner (1818-1891), a missionary based in Upolu from 1843. Turner was also responsible for the first translation of the Bible into Samoan.

As well as the missionaries’ reports, the Reporter includes some general news items, and ethnographic information about Samoan culture and customs. It also contains accounts of LMS missionary voyages to Vanuatu, the Loyalty Islands and New Caledonia. Very occasionally, letters written by Samoan missionaries were translated and published in the Reporter.  

The Samoan Reporter was last mentioned in New Zealand newspapers in late 1870, when several of them picked up the Reporter’s story of the arrest of William 'Bully' Hayes in Pagopago for kidnapping. Twenty-one issues of the paper are known to survive, the last of these published in early 1870.

Na amata le galuega tala'i a le London Missionary Society (LMS) i Samoa ina ua taunuu le alii misionare o John Williams (1796-1838) i totonu o Savai'i i le tausaga e 1830. A'o le'i tatalaina le ulua’i nusipepa faapisinisi i Samoa, na filifili le LMS e lolomi le The Samoan Reporter, ma o le lomiga muamua na faia i a Aukuso 1845. O le pepa, e fa (a’o nisi taimi e ono) itulau, sa faatulaga i ni vaega se tolu ma lolomiina i le lotoifale i le fale lomitusi o le   LMS i Leulumoega i le motu o Upolu.

E pei ona maitauina i le Auckland Times i tala o le aso 23 o Aukuso 1845, ua ta'ua ai i le lomiga muamua: 'O se pepa na lomia i le afa-tausaga o se mea fou i aso nei, ae o le atamai o tagata Samoa sa fa'aaogā ai mea ua i o latou lima e fai ai le galuea. O foliga faakomepiuta o lenei pepa e faafetaia ai le Printing House Square' (Auckland Times, 23 August 1845:3).

O le isi lipoti i le itulau lava e tasi o le Auckland Times e maua ai nisi faamatalaga.

'….ma le manatu e faateleina ai le lelei o la latou misiona… na tonu ai e tatau ona amata loa se tusi talaaga faa-Peretania, ma fa'aauau ai i le afa-tausaga, ina ia tofia, The Samoan Reporter, e faatonutonu e Mr. Heath; e lē faatatau i lona faasalalauga aloa'ia, ae mo le faasalalauga faapitoa. Sa faamasinoina e le au uso e faapea e faaopoopo atu i lipoti faavaitaimi o o latou itumalo taitasi, e mafai ona maua ai se ala talafeagai mo le faasalalauina o isi atamai aogā, e lē gata i foliga o tala fou a le Polenisia, e pei ona masani ona silafia ai, ae e faatatau foi i le talafaasolopito, faapea tu ma aga, &c, faapea foi ma lenei, e pei lava o isi vaega. O le manaʻoga lautele mo faamatalaga e uiga i nei mataupu, aemaise lava i le fesootaʻiga ma misiona faa-Kerisiano, ua faamaonia - e ala i le tele o faatau mo isi o lomiga faa-misionare ....' (Auckland Times, 23 August 1845:3)

E lē pei O le Sulu Samoa, o le mekasini a le Ekalesia LMS na tusia i le gagana Samoa ma muamua lomia i le 1839, o le Samoan Reporter sa muamua tusia i le gagana Peretania ona o lona faamoemoe e fesoota’i ai ma isi faifeau-tala'i ma tagata Peretania e fiafia i le galuega a le misiona, ae lē o se auala e fesoota'i ai ma tagata Samoa. I le 1842 sa iai le 15 LMS faife’au-tala'i i lea taimi i Samoa.

O Mr Heath sa ta'ua i tusitusiga ale Auckland Times o Reverend Thomas Heath (?-1848), lea na taunuu i Samoa i le 1836. Ina ua tuana'i lona maliu i le 1848, na see atu ai loa le matāfaioi faatonu ia Reverend George Turner (1818-1891), o se misionare sa faamautu i Upolu mai le 1843. O Turner sa gafa foi o ia ma le ulua’i faaliliuga o le Tusi Paia i le gagana Samoa.

E faapea foi ma lipoti a misionare, o loo aofia ai fo'i i le Lipoti nisi o tala o faasalalauga lautele, ma faamatalaga faale-aganuu e uiga i tu ma aga a Samoa. O loo i ai foi tala o faigamalaga faamisionare a le LMS i Vanuatu, Atumotu o Loyalty ma Niu Kaletonia. O nisi taimi, o tusi na tusiaina e misionare Samoa sa faaliliuina ma lomia i le Reporter.

O le The Samoan Reporter na ta'ua mulimuli i nusipepa a Niu Sila i le vaitaimi o le 1870, ina ua pikiina e nisi o i latou le tala a le Reporter e uiga i le saisaiina o William 'Bully' Hayes i totonu o Pagopago ona o le ave faamalosia o se tasi. E luasefulutasi lomiga o le pepa ua maitauina o loo fa'aauau pea, ma o le lomiga mulimuli na lomia i le amataga o le 1870.