NIUSbeatPACIFIC: Pacific Media Newsletter Inaugural Issue

Welcome to the inaugural issue of a monthly media wrap up of happenings, events, information and resources for Pacific journalists and media practitioners. Follow the latest news on development trends, people on the move, agency and regional organisation news and more. This regional media newsletter is aimed at keeping readers in touch with the ‘Niusbeat’ in our Pacific community and we want to hear from you – drop us a line for the March issue.

 

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Fight self censorship! New workshops for media: Self-censorship has been identified as a key threat to freedom of expression and independent media in the Pacific. Understanding and supporting media rights monitoring and reporting can help you understand and deal with the self-censorship challenge. Funding is available under the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia-Pacific Media for Democracy and Human Rights in the Pacific project supported by the European Union and UNESCO for local workshops, which follow actions from the Samoa Regional Roundtable in 2010. Find out more from IFJ Pacific Project Coordinator Lisa Williams-Lahari via email:[email protected]

 

 

Freedom of Expression Global Symposium: Australia's Martin Hadlow, of the University of Queensland, and Brian Pauling from The New Zealand Broadcasting School joined some 300 delegates from around the world on January 26 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris for a global talkfest on Freedom of Expression. Speakers discussed freedom of expression as a cornerstone of human rights work, the need for open and participatory communication for successful development, safety of media professionals and changes to the media landscape in the digital age. See Verbatim (below) for our quote of the month, from UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

 

See: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/events/international-symposium-on-freedom-of-expression/

 

 

Monitoring Pacific media freedom: The Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) called for more discussion in Tuvalu in January, as its Government implemented a Public Order Ordinance for the first time in the country’s history. PFF also highlighted the need for a stronger media complaints processes in Tonga, which was followed with a supporting statement from the IFJ Asia-Pacific. As 2010 closed, the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) issued a statement on Vanuatu's Government’s media ban on entering parliament during a no-confidence motion. The IFJ joined with its Australian affiliate, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, in denouncing attacks on Wikileaks and supported a PFF statement on PNG. In the Cooks, a defamation case brought by Norman George MP against Cook Islands News cartoonist ‘Kata’ was thrown out of court.

 

See: http://www.pacificfreedomforum.org/2011/01/more-dialogue-discussion-needed-for.html

http://www.pacificfreedomforum.org/2011/01/tonga-defamation-cases-reveal-need-to.html

http://www.pacificfreedomforum.org/2010/12/png-reinstate-masseung-let-png-media-do.html

http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-calls-for-strong-independent-complaints-process-in-tonga

http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/png-state-broadcaster-suspends-senior-editor

http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/australian-journalists-condemn-attacks-on-wikileaks

http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pina&m=program&c=mediafreedom&PHPSESSID=1039c41cf384d11c28aea235e8eaefa0

http://www3.cookislandsnews.com/2010/December/Wed15/other.htm#1012140710

 

 

Reuters Fellowship ”excellent” says Samoa journalist: Reuters fellowships at Oxford University for 2011/12 are open to Pacific journos with at least five years’ experience in any medium with excellent written and spoken English. Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, the 2009 recipient, said the Fellowship was an “excellent experience”. “It gives journalists the chance to step back from the daily news grind to concentrate on one aspect of the trade that we are passionate about,” Jackson said. “Ultimately it is a time of self-examination, extraordinary networking opportunities and knowledge development. You come away feeling invigorated, and ready to delve into journalism with renewed appreciation for it.” Applications for the current round are open until February 9.

 

See: http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fellowships/journalist-fellows/prev-journalist/2009-10/ms-cherelle-jackson.html 

Apply: http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fellowships/overview.html

 

 

PacMAS 2011 review: The long-awaited return of Australian aid funding for media, the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PacMAS), is poised for July 2011. A review process which began in 2010 is winding up, with an open call for comments now circulating in Pacific media networks. Comments, questions and ideas to [email protected] by February 14.

 

 

Asia(Pacific) Media Summit wants you: Do you have ideas, research, or information on the Pacific broadcast industry?  The Asia Media Summit 2011 is accepting papers until February 15. The two-day summit, themed “Digital Media Everywhere: Repositioning Broadcasting”, takes Pacific Broadcasters this year to Hanoi, Vietnam, in May.  The event, organised by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), hosts about 500 top-ranking broadcasters, decision makers, media professionals, regulators, scholars, and stakeholders from the Pacific, Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East. Claim some Pacific space - submit your abstract today!

 

See: http://www.aibd.org.my/AMS

 

 

World Press Freedom Day 2011: Following on from the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2010 event held for the first time in the Pacific, the event moves to the United States. The Newseum in Washington DC will host the first two days of the event, with the WPFD prize to be announced at the National Press Club on May 3. This year’s theme is “21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers”.  Planning a WPFD event in the Pacific? Let us know before February 28 and we’ll give it a plug in our next issue.

 

See: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/12/152465.htm

WPFD 2011 on Facebook: http://www.connect.connect.facebook.com/WPFD2011

 

  

Pacific Women in Media updates: GAP goes to the UN: This month members of the Pacific Gender Action Portal (GAP) head to the 55th United Nations global gender meeting, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 55), to be held from February 22 to March 4.  Tara Chetty will there to lead coverage for the Pacific Gender Action Portal. The Pacific GAP was launched in 2010 at CSW 54, as an online news and information resource driven by Pacific journos and media activists on gender issues. The Pacific GAP gender news portal forms the online archive for copy generated to Pacific newsrooms, and is managed by the Pacific WAVE Media Network. Chetty, a USP journalism graduate, is currently studying under an MA scholarship at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. 

 

See: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/55sess.htm

http://www.pacificgap.info/

http://wavemedia.blogspot.com/

 

 

Media Resources Seminar in Auckland, NZ, Feb 10 – If you are amongst those who regularly bemoan the lack Pacific-specific resources for our industry, whinge no more: the Auckland-based media goldmine of resources that is the Pacific Media Centre and Pasifika Journalism library are holding a seminar on how users can optimise their time accessing the Centre and Library resources, on the afternoon of February 10. Especially useful for journalism staff and post-grads, the seminar program will introduce users to the key features of the PMC’s revamped website.

See: http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz

http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/events/pasifika-media-and-library-resources-seminar

 

 

Australian film scoops FIFO 2011: Pacific TV managers and film producers are winging their way home from Tahiti, the host venue of the 8th Annual Pacific documentary festival, FIFO. The annual event brings together the best of Oceania-produced content and is a feast of Pacific stories and includes workshops and seminars in production and film. For more news on FIFO and support for documentary training in 2011, contact SPC Regional Media Centre team leader Larry Thomas via email: [email protected]

 

See:  http://en.tahitipresse.pf/2011/01/australian-film-wins-top-fifo-honors/

 

 

Media on the move: Literally the biggest media move this year comes from the Pacific Media Centre team, relocating from their Rutland St premises next door to the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Tower, near Aotea Square. Long-time journo Richard Pamatatau is taking his experience to the next generation, as a lecturer in AUT's School of Communication Studies, teaching a new Graduate Diploma in Pacific Journalism. Top Fiji journalist Sophie Foster sparked a storm of Facebook well wishes when she made the big move from Suva to Brisbane's Courier-Mail after resigning in the wake of last year’s sale of TheFiji Times. Meanwhile, The Fiji Times has a new publisher, Brian O'Flaherty, following the departure of Dallas Swinstead at the end of January. In the Cook Islands, Pitt Media Group's Trevor Pitt makes an impact as Editor/Trainer for the TV news team after the 2010 election and Cook Islands News is advertising for senior journos following the departure of top duo Martin Tiffany and Helen Greig. Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson resigned from the position of Pacific Media Rights Monitor to concentrate on climate change journalism in the Pacific. In Tuvalu, we welcome back Melali Ta'ape into the General Manager position at Tuvalu Broadcasting Corporation, from her sabbatical in NZ in 2010. In Kiribati, the Broadcasting Authority national radio and Te Uekera newspaper service is poised to name its new General Manager. There's always new moves in Pacific media - let us know by dropping a line to [email protected] - our best NIUSbeat wishes go out to all of our Pacific media colleagues who are taking their work in new directions.

 

 

Verbatim: “George Orwell once wrote that ‘if liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear’. Freedom of expression means, indeed, the right to inform, whatever the context is, however difficult the situation might be. Protecting this fundamental human right is a process without an end. The case must be continually argued, violation of this right should never be accepted, and States and societies have to be helped to move forward. That is why we are here.” - UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova  

 

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On the NIUSbeat: Got something you want to share with other Pacific newshounds and media workers? Want to guest-edit a NIUSbeat edition? Feel there's something missing or want to contribute under any of the above headings? Drop the NIUSbeatPACIFIC editor a line at [email protected] Deadline for March 3 Issue: 28th February 2011. 

 

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NIUSbeatis part of the IFJ Asia-Pacific project, Media for Democracy and Human Rights in the Pacific, supported by the European Union and UNESCO IPDC. The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125 countries. Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific or on Facebook here

 

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