Denise Yeo
AUCKLAND (AUT/AsiaPacificReport/Pacific Media Watch): AUT’s Pacific Media Centre and Evening Report editor Selwyn Manning have teamed up to launch Asia Pacific Report, a news website that will provide a fresh ‘Pacific’ voice to bolster Asia Pacific news and analysis in New Zealand.
PMC director Professor David Robie says the collaboration is a result of a gap in the media market for an independent Asia-Pacific voice that addressed issues of equity and justice.
“AsiaPacificReport.nz will feature in-depth current affairs news stories focused on telling the ‘untold stories’. It will be a public space for no-froth journalism examining real pressing issues,” he says.
Postgraduate student journalists, academics and journalists around the region will contribute to news reports and features on the website which was launched today at AUT’s City Campus.
The idea for Asia Pacific Report was birthed from Professor Robie and Manning’s desire to bring the Pacific Media Centre’s work beyond the university, to serve a greater global audience.
Asia Pacific Report will work closely with Manning’s company Multimedia Investments to enable the publishing of content into other global media outlets such as Dow Jones Factiva, Lexis Nexis, Moreover and Acquire media.
“Multimedia Investments will provide significant reach for the PMC’s reportage and analysis,” explains Manning. “We are confident Asia Pacific Report will be a significant outlet and a reliable source for public discourse and debate within the region.”
Pacific Cooperation Foundation CEO Laulu Mac Leauanae did the honours of launching the site, and a 15 minute documentary, The PMC Project, by Pacific Media Watch journalist Alistar Kata was also screened at the launch. She has just joined the Tagata Pasifika team this week.
The documentary was about the work of the Pacific Media Centre, including interviews with staff, student journalists and their projects.
Pacific Media Watch
