1999 Australian Press Council Fellow: David Robie, report and speeches

The Australian Press Council has, since 1995, sponsored a Press Council Fellowship to bring to Australia an international expert to meet with, and talk to, the Australian media and the public.

The earlier Fellows mainly carried out the latter function, addressing a number of meetings and seminars in various states. However, the 1999 Fellow, David Robie, took a different approach. He saw his role as educating the Australian audiences about the South Pacific media and their problems, but also saw a role in learning about the way in which the Australian media worked and building links between the Australian media and the South Pacific.

During his Fellowship, David visited Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra. While the quality of his contributions to seminars and discussions in all three locations was very informative, the most lasting effect of his visit will be through the publication of this report.

The report itself, is in two parts, the first detailing the concerns that dominate the thinking of the South Pacific media, and the second with his visit to Australia and what he learned. His recommendations will give us all pause for thought.

Appended to the report are two of the papers he delivered while in Australia, one on the internet aspects of South Pacific media activities and the other on education and training of journalists in the region.

David Robie's visit helped us all to learn about what was happening in our region. I trust that this volume will spread that education wider with the Australian media community.