AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): The editorial manager of Scoop and co-founder of Pacific Scoop, Selwyn Manning, has resigned in order to pursue a new project.
After joining the online media enterprise in 1999 shortly after it was founded, Manning was put in charge of reporting the APEC conference in Auckland that year. He said the aim was to generate traffic to the new site at a time when it was a lot more difficult to do so.
"Google didn't exist - Yahoo did, and something called Alta Vista, I think," he said.
"Stimulating traffic was a new science, but APEC gave us the opportunity to get noticed.
"We didn't think editorial strategy based on a geographical point of view, and our articles reflected that, meaning they were picked up by regional and global search engines and appeared alongside articles from publications like the New York Times.
"It was a bit of a buzz really."
Manning also looked back at forming the partner project, Pacific Scoop with Pacific Media Centre director Dr David Robie at AUT University.
Burgeoning Pacific presence
"From a Scoop point of view it was a way of sustaining content when the global financial crisis was looming. We had a burgeoning presence in the Pacific but at the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008 we knew we could no longer sustain it, along with many competitors as well.
"And it dovetailed well with what David was looking for as a platform for publishing student work as well articles by other commentators and journalists in the region. It provided a one-stop shop for reportage and analysis."
Completing his masters this year - with a documentary Behind the Shroud on high-level intelligence - was a key opportunity to solidify the connection between Scoop and the PMC that began with Pacific Scoop.
Manning said that in the "tough financial times" Scoop simply needed to "stick to its knitting" before it can hope to develop further and achieve some of the broader goals it had set out to do over a decade ago.
As for next year, Manning is quietly and conscientiously working towards something he believes will be groundbreaking in terms of intelligence and geopolitical analysis in the Pacific region.
Without giving too much away, he said his new entity should be ready to kick off in March, and involved some "significant others".
"There are a lot of political players in the Pacific and there's a lot of oscillation from the Pacific Island states to lean towards China and then towards the US," he said.
Shortage of analysis
"There's a real shortage of independent analysis at that level in the Pacific.
"Many Pacific Island states are small and don't have intelligence and security assessment bodies operating. This venture will hopefully fill that void."
While some similar operations in the world are highly clandestine, Manning's new entity will be "significantly different" with a public and media-oriented face.
Pacific Scoop partner and co-editor Dr Robie praised Manning's commitment to New Zealand independent reporting and encouraging "niche journalism" on Asia-Pacific issues.
"His vision, enthusiasm and ongoing support have been both an encouragement and an inspiration for our small team," he said.
"Selwyn Manning initiated the Pacific Islands Forum coverage in Vanuatu last year - a first for any NZ journalism school - by obtaining a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade grant to send two Pasifika students to report from Port Vila.
"We followed that up with 10 students covering the Forum with some exemplary coverage in Auckland during September this year.
"Also, Selwyn's support for covering marginalised Pacific stories like West Papuan independence and human rights has been critical."
Dr Robie said Manning's support for Pacific Scoop would continue through his ongoing participation in the PMC advisory board and his key involvement in AUT' s School of Communication Studies industry advisory board.
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Alex Perrottet
