Pacific Islands News Association leadership transition

Neville Choi, President of the Papua New Guinea Media Council, was elected President of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) during the organization’s Annual General Meeting in Savusavu. Choi succeeds Kalafi Moala, who withdrew his nomination for a second term to allow for new leadership. Lisa Osifelo of the Solomon Islands was elected Vice President.

Following his appointment, Choi pledged to strengthen newsrooms across the Pacific region by focusing on the PINA Secretariat, emphasizing the need for increased support, accountability, and transparency. He proposed empowering national media associations to act as central contact points and encouraged larger media organizations to mentor and train smaller outlets in island states.

Regarding technological advancements, Choi identified artificial intelligence as a significant topic, noting it should be used as a tool for workflows while maintaining “strong human oversight to protect core journalistic processes.” Additionally, it was confirmed that the next Pacific Media Summit will be hosted in Port Moresby by Papua New Guinea’s Media Council and the National Broadcasting Corporation.