Fiji has officially put forward its bid to host the 2026 Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Media Summit, proposing Savusavu as the event location. This announcement coincides with the gathering of over 70 media professionals from seven countries in Alofi, Niue, for the 7th PINA Media Summit.
A decision regarding the host country for 2026 is anticipated later this week. The summit, which commences officially today, has already included four pre-summit workshops where participants have tackled significant topics such as enhancing national media associations, improving public finance management reporting, and addressing emerging climate and environmental challenges in the Pacific region.
A key highlight of the pre-summit sessions is the “Women in Media” workshop, organized by femLINKpacific and supported by The Asia Foundation. This workshop aims to bolster gender equality in media leadership and representation, attracting over 15 participants from various organizations throughout the Pacific and Australia.
The main summit will center on the theme “Navigating Media Resilience: Press Freedoms, AI, and Geopolitical Interests,” with planned discussions on how Pacific media can adapt to rapidly changing technology and external pressures. Stanley Simpson, general secretary of the Fijian Media Association, has highlighted the significance of PINA in influencing regional media practices and upholding journalistic values amid these challenges.
During the week, participants are expected to delve into the implications of AI in journalism and the critical need to protect press freedoms. The summit will wrap up with the presentation of the “State of the Pacific Media Report,” followed by the PINA Annual General Meeting.