New regional alliance on media freedom for Pacific

New regional alliance on media freedom for Pacific

Outcomes Statement - Inaugural Pacific Media Networks Meeting

2-4 May 2011
Le Papaigalagala Campus, NUS
Apia, Samoa

Representatives of Pacific media networks have agreed to cooperate as a regional alliance on media freedom and other issues of common concern at a meeting in Apia, Samoa on World Press Freedom Day 2011.

The founding members of the Media Alliance of the Pacific (MAP) are the Pacific Alliance of Development Journalists (PADJ), Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF), Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA), Pasifika Media Association (PasiMA) and the Pacific Women Advancing Vision of Empowerment (WAVE) Media Network.

As a first step the alliance will create a database of media workers across the Pacific. This will help to improve information sharing, optimize training opportunities, strengthen capacity building and pool regional resources.

Other priorities include a regional code of ethics and a regional Pacific media complaints council. Further consultations will be held on these initiatives.

The alliance agreed to invite other regional media networks to join as members, and to form partnerships with other stakeholders.

The Media Alliance of the Pacific (MAP) welcomed the support from the Asia Pacific Office of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the hosting arrangements by the National University of Samoa’s Media and Journalism programme. The funding provided by the Communications and Information Sector of the UNESCO Office for Pacific States and Australia’s Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) is gratefully acknowledged.

4 May 2011

ENDS

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