PM Rabuka to open Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu

Savusavu is set to become the centre of Pacific journalism next week when nearly 200 media professionals, communications specialists and government representatives gather for the 8th Pacific Media Summit.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will officially open the summit at Wasawasa Lodge on September 22, marking the return of the region's media event to Fiji after a 14-year absence.

Hosted by the Fijian Media Association (FMA) and organised by the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), the summit will be held under the theme, "Reaching the Remote: Media and Digital Innovation for a Connected Blue Pacific."

FMA general secretary Stanley Simpson said the summit represented a significant moment for media freedom and democratic development in the region.

"The last time the summit was held in Fiji in 2012, we were still living under censorship and some journalists refused to attend," Mr Simpson said.

"The summit in Savusavu celebrates all we have overcome on this ongoing journey and how we can continue to strengthen a democratic Blue Pacific."

The four-day event will focus on some of the most pressing issues facing Pacific media, including press freedom, media sustainability, climate and disaster reporting, artificial intelligence, public broadcasting, media independence and inclusive leadership.

Mr Simpson said the summit comes at a critical time as news organisations across the region navigate rapid technological change while combating misinformation and disinformation.

"This summit comes at a critical time for Pacific media, bringing together the people fighting misinformation, disinformation and keeping independent journalism alive in some of the region's most under-resourced newsrooms," he said.

Organisers have deliberately chosen Savusavu as the host location instead of Suva to highlight the challenges of serving remote communities across the Pacific.

"We have deliberately taken the region's biggest media gathering out of Suva and into Vanua Levu, closer to some of the communities our newsrooms struggle hardest to serve, and discuss how AI and digital innovation, while posing challenges, can also offer solutions," Mr Simpson said.

Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica will represent the Government on a high-level panel discussion on September 23 alongside Papua New Guinea's Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Robert Naguri, who will participate virtually. PINA president Kalafi Moala is expected to deliver a response.

Ahead of the summit, six specialist workshops will be conducted covering innovative storytelling, climate change reporting, digital innovation, climate corruption, organised crime, ocean issues and women in media. The first delegates for the summit start arriving from tomorrow.

The FMA will also host a Pre-COP Climate Change Town Hall in Nukubalavu Village, providing Northern residents with an opportunity to raise environmental concerns and discuss climate action with stakeholders.

The summit concludes on September 25 with the PINA annual general meeting and the presentation of the Savusavu Outcome Statement to be presented by FMA president Rosi Tamani-Doviverata and PINA president Kalafi Moala.

Support for the summit has come from Australia's Regional Media Support Fund (RMSF) and the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS), the British High Commission and BBC Media Action,  the Government of Fiji, FCOSS, the Pacific Community (SPC), SPREP, UNODC and the Waitt Institute.

Vodafone Fiji has confirmed as a corporate partner for the event.