With social media increasingly replacing traditional news sources, a Pacific media specialist has recommended that journalists receive specialised training on sensitive issues such as land and demographic change.
These issues, which have been misreported in the past, are now being amplified online, posing risks to social cohesion and political stability in Fiji.
Associate Professor in Pacific Journalism Shailendra Singh was responding to questions by this newspaper on the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 which found that the global news landscape was undergoing a profound shift as audiences increasingly access news through social media, video platforms and AI chatbots.
The Reuters Report indicates that younger audiences are consuming news through social media, influencers, and content creators rather than traditional news organisations.
Dr Singh, the head of Journalism at the University of the South Pacific, said Fiji and the Pacific were experiencing the same rapid shift seen globally and that the rise of social media has created new internal security challenges, particularly through the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
He said Fiji’s demographic composition and ethnic divisions make the country particularly vulnerable to online narratives that exploited identity politics on what he described as ‘anti-social’ media.
Dr Singh also highlighted the need for media to keep pace with emerging trends and embrace newer journalistic concepts such as ‘solutions journalism’ and ‘constructive journalism’.
These approaches place emphasis on business, technology, start-ups, education, and innovation as drivers of national development and progress.
“The younger generation, especially, is not only techno-savvy, but also entrepreneurial because of the opportunities on social media and AI.”
“Fijian journalism could focus on these areas to empower youth and harness their potential, rather than devote most of their energies to the traditional, conflict focused, political reporting, which is now sounding old, tired, and bereft of new ideas,” said Dr. Singh.
