AUCKLAND: The formation of an alliance among some Pacific media networks is a chance for the region to ‘move forward’ in forming networks and relationships, says Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA) chair Iulia Leilua.
The newly created Media Alliance of the Pacific (MAP) consists of representatives from some Pacific media networks who have agreed to cooperate as a regional alliance on media freedom and other issues of common concern.
Representing PIMA, a New Zealand-based association of Pasifika media practitioners, Leilua spoke of a need to build networks across the region.
“Pasifika and Māori media in New Zealand need to work harder to build relationships and a presence with other media in the Pacific region”, she says.
“There is still a perception within parts of the Pacific that New Zealand is not a ‘real’ Pacific country”.
Having returned from the inaugural Pacific media networks conference in Apia, Samoa, last week, Leilua said this was the first time PIMA has been funded to attend a Pacific regional media forum in the Pacific, and outlined the reasons PIMA opted to join the alliance.
“PIMA joined MAP because of the chance to network and share information, be part of a database of Pacific journalists and media practitioners, and its plans for a regional code of ethics and a media complaints council," she said.
Media freedom
The conference was attended by media bodies and networks from around the Pacific region, and was timed to coincide with World Media Freedom Day on May 3.
The issue of media freedom is discussed frequently in reference to the wider Pacific region and is one that Leilua says is relevant to Pacific media practitioners in New Zealand too.
During her address at the conference, Leilua cited research conducted through a focus group of PIMA members that identified media freedom as the key issue of concern to Pasifika media practitioners in New Zealand.
“In the Pacific, media freedom is largely impeded by their countries’ own authorities. Here in New Zealand, freedom for Pasifika media can be impeded by cultural, political, social and neo-colonial barriers," she says.
“Although New Zealand has a Broadcasting Standards Authority Act, privacy laws, the Official Information Act and better freedom of speech than elsewhere in the Pacific, Pacific people in New Zealand still face subtle injustice, prejudice, intolerance and corruption.”
The official outcome statement of the conference detailed the first step of the alliance as being the creation of a database of media workers across the Pacific to help improve information sharing, optimise training opportunities, strengthen capacity building and pool regional resources.
Duplication concern
Leilua acknowledged that the alliance may create concern about duplication or competition among some media bodies in the Pacific region because of existing tensions.
“That’s to be expected but we have to move forward. It’s not MAP’s intention to duplicate or compete where good work is already being done”, she says.
Founding members of MAP are the Pacific Alliance of Development Journalists (PADJ), Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF), Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA), Pasifika Media Association (PasiMA) and the Pacific Women Advancing Vision of Empowerment (WAVE) Media Network.
The alliance agreed to invite other regional media networks to join as members, and to form partnerships with other stakeholders. - Pacific Islands Media Association/Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Watch
