Fiji to host 8th Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu

The 8th Pacific Media Summit is scheduled to convene in Savusavu, Fiji, on September 22, marking the first time the regional gathering has returned to the country in 14 years. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will officially open the event, which is co-hosted by the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and the Fijian Media Association (FMA).

The summit, themed ‘Reaching the Remote: Media and Digital Innovation for a Connected Blue Pacific’, expects to host nearly 200 media leaders, journalists, and government representatives. The program will address critical issues including press freedom, media sustainability, climate and disaster reporting, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation.

FMA General Secretary Stanley Simpson noted that the 2012 summit in Fiji took place under conditions of censorship. He stated that the current gathering celebrates progress toward a ‘democratic blue Pacific’ and aims to support under-resourced newsrooms facing misinformation and disinformation. The event is being held in Vanua Levu to be closer to communities that are often difficult for newsrooms to serve.