SUVA: Tongan newspaper publisher and broadcaster Kalafi Moala, Pacific Media Centre director associate professor David Robie of New Zealand and University of Queensland senior lecturer Dr Levi Obijiofor are keynote speakers on peace journalism for a symposium on media and democracy being organised by the University of the South Pacific in Fiji tomorrow.
The theme of the symposium is the "role of media and civil society in strengthening democracy and social cohesion".
The co-sponsors are Faculty of Arts and Law, Faculty of Business and Economics, United Nations Development Programme, Suva.
"This is a very important symposium for us," said USP's head of journalism Shailendra Singh, a co-convenor.
"It follows on from the peace journalism seminar at AUT University's media and investigative journalism conference last weekend and another peace journalism symposium in Suva.
"This one tomorrow brings together journalists, NGO campaigners, academics and the public. We want keep the momentum going."
Several of the presenters have articles about peace journalism being included in an edition of the Journal of Pacific Studies to be published shortly
Keynote speakers:
Dr David Robie: Associate professor Robie is director of the Pacific Media Centre, AUT University, NZ. He was head of journalism at both the universities of Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific (Fiji) for almost a decade. He is author of Mekim Nius: South Pacific media, politics and education and several other books. Recently he convened the Media, Investigative Journalism and Technology Conference at AUT University last weekend. It included a parallel peace journalism workshop
Kalafi Moala, publisher and chief executive of Tonga's Taimi Media Network, is a respected media personality and human rights advocate. His latest book, Tonga: In Search of the Friendly Islands, discusses key development and social issues facing Tonga, including issues that led to the 16 November 2006 riots in Nuku’alofa. Moala’s 2002 book, Island Kingdom Strikes Back, gave a vivid account of his newspaper’s struggle for a more open society.
Dr Levi Obijiofor is a senior lecturer in Journalism and Communications at the University of Queensland. A former journalist, he was at various times sub-editor, production editor and night editor of The Guardian newspapers in Lagos, Nigeria. Dr Obijiofor has taught postgraduate and undergraduate classes across a range of journalism and communication courses and has successfully supervised PhD, Masters and Honours students.
Date: Friday, 10 December 2010
Time: 9am-5pm
Venue: USP Laucala Campus Performance Space (next to AusAid Lecture Theatre)
Convenors: Shailendra Singh, Head of Journalism and Dr Desmond Amosa, Senior Lecturer in Management
Pacific Media Watch
