New Book Challenges Pacific Donor Media Training

New Book Challenges Pacific Donor Media Training Culture

http://www.asiapac.org.fj/cafepacific/resources/david_aspac.html

AUCKLAND (AUT/Pacific Media Watch): A new book is being published next month that challenges the South Pacific's culture of short course media training funded by international donors.

The book, Mekim Nius: South Pacific Media, Politics and Education, questions aid policies in the Pacific and makes a strong case for journalism education and training at the region's universities.

Author David Robie, Auckland University of Technology's diversity and publications coordinator, says the region's media industry has become the captive of training donor agencies. He says the university-based journalism schools have the capacity to develop an independent and focused regional industry media training strategy.

Dr Robie, who headed two of the region's journalism schools for most of the past decade (University of Papua New Guinea and the University of the South Pacific), says New Zealand has played a crucial role in developing media education in the Pacific.

From the founding of the region's first journalism school with New Zealand aid at UPNG in 1975, Mekim Nius traces three decades of history of South Pacific media education.

The author also examines the impact of the region's politics on the media in the two major news countries, Fiji and Papua New Guinea - from the Bougainville conflict and Sandline mercenary affair to Fiji's coups.

Dr Robie interviewed 57 Pacific journalists, educators and media policy makers and conducted two newsroom surveys in Fiji and PNG.

Mekim Nius can be ordered from the USP Book Centre: bookcentre@usp.ac.fj. Further information from David Robie: David.robie@aut.ac.nz

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