Fiji has made an official bid to host the 2026 Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Media Summit, proposing the town of Savusavu as the venue. This announcement coincides with the gathering of over 70 media professionals from seven countries in Alofi, Niue, for the 7th PINA Media Summit, which begins today. The decision regarding the host country for 2026 is anticipated later this week.
Participants have already engaged in four pre-summit workshops, tackling critical topics such as strengthening national media associations, public finance management reporting, and the pressing climate and environmental issues affecting the Pacific region.
A significant aspect of this year’s pre-summit activities is the “Women in Media” workshop, which is led by femLINKpacific and supported by The Asia Foundation. This workshop aims to promote gender balance in media leadership and representation, attracting over 15 participants from various organizations across the Pacific and Australia.
The main summit will revolve around the theme “Navigating Media Resilience: Press Freedoms, AI, and Geopolitical Interests.” Discussions will focus on how Pacific media can adapt to technological advancements and external pressures. Stanley Simpson, general secretary of the Fijian Media Association, highlighted PINA’s important role in shaping regional media and upholding journalistic values in the face of these challenges.
Throughout the week, attendees will delve into the impact of AI on journalism and the necessity of preserving press freedoms. The summit will wrap up with the release of the “State of the Pacific Media Report,” followed by the PINA Annual General Meeting.