Representatives of the Pacific Media Centre and the new regional body Pasifika Media Association (PasiMA) have met in Auckland to explore some joint projects such as investigative journalism and student/media staff training exchanges, reports Toktok.
Six board members from four countries - Cook Islands, Hawai’i, Samoa and Tonga - met PMC director Professor David Robie, Pacific Media Watch editor Alex Perrottet and Kiribati Independent publisher Taberannang Korauaba.
Both Perrottet and Korauaba are also masters students in AUT’s School of Communication Studies.
“This is a thrilling opportunity for us to be able to reflect with some of the Pacific’s media who’s who such as Samoa Observer editor-in-chief Savea Sano Malifa, Taimi o’Tonga publisher Kalafi Moala and Cook Islands News editor John Woods ways we can work together,” said Dr Robie.
“PasiMA already publish our Pacific Media Watch news monitoring service and now we are looking at collaboration with investigative journalism and a student/staff internship exchange.”
Dr Robie presented Savea, chair of the PasiMA group, with a limited edition “friendship” tee-shirt from the PMC.
The PMC-hosted meeting followed a three-day board meeting when a web-based training programme for Pacific media was commissioned by PasiMA. It is expected to start in late 2012.
Course charted
The one-year-old organisation charted the course for this training programme, funded by a $100,000 grant from the British High Commission in the Solomon Islands.
The training resources will be designed to support Pacific media operators and journalists with “enhanced real-world skills”, particularly in the fields of media business management, investigative journalism and multimedia platforms.
PasiMA board members from Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Hawai'i met to agree on structure and content for the training programme, which will be rolled out by late 2012.
The web-based training resource programme is designed for PasiMA member organisations and individuals, and is being built by a team of Pacific regional members and advisers.
Savea because it will strengthen the role of member organisations in delivering robust journalism and combating corruption and resistance to transparency and openness in public institutions and governments.
PasiMA¹s board held a number of side meetings with potential partners and allies. As well as meeting the PMC, the members had talks with the New Zealand -based Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA). - Toktok
Pacific Media Centre
