The Pacific Media Centre has been successful in gaining a grant from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to cover costs of assigning two postgraduate journalists to cover the Pacific Islands Forum meetings in Port Vila, Vanuatu, next week.
Josephine Latu and Tupouseini Taumoepeau are leaving for Port Vila on Sunday to cover the week's meetings.
Over the past two years, the PMC has hosted two visits from MFAT officials. The feedback from MFAT has been positive where it has identified the PMC's purpose and achievement in supporting academic research on Pacific regional affairs and media issues.
It has acknowledged the PMC as a university-based centre that aids the professional development of students and academics, and that the PMC also seeks to support the development of the media industry across the wider Pacific.
While in Port Vila, Latu and Taumoepeau will provide reports on the Smaller Islands States meetings, the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit meetings and the post-forum dialogue bilateral talks.
Their reports and analysis will be filed to the PMC in Auckland and their news reports will be published on Pacific Scoop website and will also be made available to other Pacific-based media.
While most New Zealand journalists assigned to cover the forum will be representative of the New Zealand Parliamentary Press Gallery and travel with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, the PMC's two journalists will angle their reports from within a Pacific-wide public interest prism.
Pacific Scoop reportage
Pacific Media Centre
