MEMBERS of the Pacific media have been challenged to report on issues that affect lives of people in order to help bring changes to their standard of living.
The message was relayed Wednesday by Pacific Liaison & Coordination Office (PLCO) Regional Director Andrea Iffland at the closing of the inaugural Asian Development Bank (ADB) Pacific Business Media Summit, which took place early this week in Sydney.
She said the bank acknowledged the important role that media played in raising issues of importance affecting ordinary people in the region.
“Media is there to help bring change for the betterment of the people in the region, to raise issues which affected their lives,” Ms Iffland said.
“You (media) have a role to play and so it’s important for you to continue with your duties,” she said.
She added the hosting of the summit is just a start of the collaboration between the bank and media.
The regional director added that hosting the event also allowed the bank to learn and know some of the important issues which affected the lives of the people in the region.
In that way, the bank can find ways to help address these issues.
On behalf of the participants, Kalafi Moala, publisher, managing director, Taimi media network of Tonga thanked ADB for getting the event organised to allow media professionals to learn from the bank and the work that is doing in the pacific.
The gathering pulled together media industry professionals, publishers, proprietors, editors, and journalists from across the Pacific.
Senior media from eight Pacific countries have attended the summit, including representatives from Fiji TV, Fiji Times, Matangi Tonga, Solomon Star, Talamu Media Samoa, Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Broadcasting Corporation, Pacific Islands News Association, Asia Pacific Journalism Centre, Pacific Media Centre, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Summit was hosted by ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office (PLCO) in Sydney and is supported by the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), co-financed by ADB and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand.
During the two days meeting participants heard in-depth presentations about the work of ADB in the Asia Pacific region and its plan for the future.
There will also be a focus on Pacific private sector development and the enabling environment for business; the investment outlook for Pacific Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises; the economic empowerment of women; and the pipeline of major infrastructure projects planned in the medium-term in the region.
At the final day of the event some of the participants took the podium to engage in panel discussions on issues vital to both media coverage of Pacific business and the business of Pacific media.
By MOFFAT MAMU
in Sydney
