MEDIA freedom, infrastructure and tailored support for Pacific news organisations have emerged as key issues for the new Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) board.
PINA president Neville Choi said discussions during the association’s annual general meeting highlighted the different challenges confronting media organisations across the Pacific.
Mr Choi said media freedom had emerged as an important issue requiring continued attention.
“I think media freedom came out clearly,” he said.
He said international partners and donors needed to have a better understanding of the circumstances facing individual Pacific countries when providing training and other forms of support.
“There is also a need for more of our international partners and donors to understand the challenges faced by each of our countries and to tailor their training and support to those specific needs.”
He said infrastructure had also emerged strongly during discussions at the meeting.
He said the outcomes of the summit would help shape PINA’s direction towards the next summit in Papua New Guinea in 2028.
“Pacific media organisations operate in different environments and require support that reflected their individual circumstances.”
He said PINA had an important role in ensuring that members could share their experiences and work together to address common challenges.
“The association will also need to ensure greater participation from members across the Pacific.”
He said making sure that every member had an opportunity to contribute would remain a major challenge for the new leadership.
