Fiji Seek to Host 2026 Summit

Fiji has officially submitted a bid to host the 2026 Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Media Summit, with the town of Savusavu proposed as the venue.

The announcement comes as over 70 media professionals from seven countries convene in Alofi, Niue, for the 7th PINA Media Summit.

The decision on the 2026 host country is expected later this week.

The summit, which officially starts today, has already seen participants engage in four pre-summit workshops.

Key issues discussed include strengthening national media associations, reporting on public finance management, and addressing emerging climate and environmental trends in the Pacific.

A notable feature of this year’s pre-summit is the “Women in Media” workshop, led by femLINKpacific and supported by The Asia Foundation, which aims to enhance gender balance in media leadership and representation.

This session has drawn over 15 participants from organisations across the Pacific and Australia.

The main summit will focus on the theme “Navigating Media Resilience: Press Freedoms, AI, and Geopolitical Interests,” with discussions set to address how Pacific media can adapt to technological changes and external pressures.

Stanley Simpson, general secretary of the Fijian Media Association, emphasised PINA’s role in shaping regional media and maintaining journalistic values amidst these challenges.

Throughout the week, participants will explore the role of AI in journalism and the importance of safeguarding press freedoms.

The summit will conclude with the release of the “State of the Pacific Media Report,” followed by the PINA Annual General Meeting.

•  Lavenia Lativerata is a Senior Journalist at MaiTV.

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