By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
Pacific media leaders and journalists from across the region will tackle press freedom, newsroom survival, artificial intelligence, anti-corruption, climate change and the future of journalism when the Pacific Media Summit gets underway in Savusavu on Monday.
Fijian Media Association (FMA) General Secretary Stanley Simpson told PACNEWS the summit comes at a critical time as media organisations across the region face growing pressure from misinformation, disinformation, new technology and declining traditional advertising revenues.
“Newsrooms are not just fighting for their independence, they are fighting for their survival,” Simpson told PACNEWS in Savusavu.
The 8th Pacific Media Summit, organised by the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and hosted by the Fijian Media Association, will bring together regional media practitioners, researchers and leaders to discuss press freedom, media sustainability, climate and disaster reporting, artificial intelligence, digital inclusion and inclusive media leadership.
Simpson said the discussions would focus on how newsrooms can respond to technological change without losing the basic principles of independent journalism.
“We have really consulted widely about all the challenges facing both the big and small countries of the region, the challenges faced by newsrooms, brought about by the new technology, but also how we maintain the basics, the independence of the media,” he told PACNEWS.
The summit theme, “Reaching the Remote: Media and Digital Innovation for a Connected Blue Pacific,” reflects the need to ensure media and digital developments reach communities beyond capital cities.
Simpson said Savusavu was deliberately chosen as the venue to put the discussions closer to communities experiencing some of the challenges being discussed.
“We have come to Savusavu to talk about this, a place that is facing these challenges, as opposed to holding these meetings in a capital city where we may be far removed from the challenges we are aiming to overcome,” he said.
He said the growth of digital platforms and AI was also putting pressure on the traditional business models that have sustained news organisations.
“Many of the traditional ways of the media staying alive through advertising is under threat now with the digital spaces and AI,” Simpson told PACNEWS.
The summit will also examine how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used by newsrooms to improve coverage while maintaining editorial independence and journalistic standards.
Simpson said high-profile regional speakers would contribute to discussions on the future of Pacific media, including researchers working on AI and its application in newsrooms.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is expected to deliver the keynote address on Wednesday, while Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica will also attend.
Other speakers include former Fiji President and Tui Macuata, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, who will address climate change.
Simpson said many of the region’s established media figures continued to contribute to the fight for media freedom, independence and professional standards. Alongside Pacific media figures including Pacific Islands News Association President Kalafi Moala, Johnson Honimae, John Woods, Leilani Reklai, Katalina Tohi and Solomone Finau.
“Some of these names we’ve heard for many years, and still contributing, still fighting the cause of media freedom, media independence, and better standards to tell the stories of our people,” he said.
For the Fijian Media Association, Simpson said hosting the summit also carried significance after years of pressure on the country’s media sector.
“We’ve come through a long period of suppression and struggle and facing hostility. And this is perhaps a symbolic event where we can declare that we are back,” he told PACNEWS
He urged regional delegates to use the summit for frank discussions on the direction of Pacific journalism.
“We really have to have honest discussions about what needs to be done and where the region needs to go,” Simpson said.
He said the summit’s focus on technology and connectivity should not come at the expense of the core principles of journalism.
“Using new technologies that we have, but essentially keeping to the basics of journalism — accuracy, fair and balanced,” he said.
Simpson said the discussions in Savusavu could help shape the direction of Pacific media for years to come.
“This is where we set the direction for the next, I would say, five to ten years for Pacific Media,” he said.
