STRENGTHENING fact-checking and verification will be among the priorities for the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) as it prepares for its 2028 summit in Papua New Guinea.
New PINA president Neville Choi said the rapid development of new technology across the Pacific had increased the need for media organisations to strengthen their verification practices.
Mr Choi said fact-checking and verification needed to be further developed across Pacific newsrooms to help media organisations respond to the changing information environment.
“I think fact-checking and verification are areas that need to be instilled more and developed, especially with the advent of new technology across the Pacific Islands,” he said.
He said the issue would be a focus leading up to the next PINA Summit in PNG.
Mr Choi said Pacific media organisations also faced different challenges depending on the size and circumstances of their respective countries.
“Smaller island-state media organisations can benefit from the experience of larger media organisations in the region.
“There are also challenges that each of our small island-state media organisations are facing.
“I think the key is finding solutions to those challenges and learning from the bigger countries and from the experience of our larger members in the Pacific.”
He said PINA would need to work collectively to find practical solutions to the challenges confronting the industry.
“Training, inclusion and sharing experiences among Pacific media organisations would be important as the association worked towards its 2028 summit.”
He said strengthening the capacity of Pacific journalists would help the industry respond to emerging challenges while maintaining professional standards.
