Australia Funds Pacific Media Workshop

Australia Funds Pacific Media Workshop

SUVA (PI Forum Secretariat/Pacific Media Watch): Australia is to fund a regional media workshop at the Pacific Islands Forum and related meetings in Apia, Samoa, on August 3-10, organized by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

"Australia's support reflects the need to encourage more informed public debate about major political, economic and social issues in the region," said Forum Secretary General Greg Urwin in welcoming the funding.

"This year's Forum will discuss the framework of the Pacific Plan, aimed at deepening the cooperation between members, and exploring ways to pool resources in more efficient ways.

"The media workshop will help to build wider understanding in Pacific Island countries about ways that Pacific communities can work more closely together," Urwin said.

The eight-member regional media team was selected jointly by the two Pacific regional media organizations - the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and the Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association (PIBA). The trainer will be Jemima Garrett from Radio Australia.

Similar Forum media workshops were held in 2001-2003. They were mainly funded by Australia, through the AusAID-funded Pacific Media Initiative, while the 2003 Pacific Islands Forum media workshop was funded by New Zealand.

Forum Secretariat, Suva 12 July 2004

The regional participants for the workshop, selected jointly by PINA and PIBA are:

1. Julie Taripo Cook Islands TV

2. Suzanne Murphy Marshall Islands Journal

3. Robert Luke Iroga Solomon Star

4. Rooti Terubea Radio Kiribati

5. Ronil Lal Communication Fiji Ltd

6. Shane Tohovaka BCN Niue

7. Ana Tapueluelu Taumu'a Lelei Tonga

8. Makereta Komaidrue PACNEWS - counterpart trainer

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE http://www.pmw.c2o.org

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media based in Sydney, Journalism Studies at the University of PNG (UPNG), the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and Community Communications Online (c2o).

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