Fiji has officially launched a bid to host the 2026 Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Media Summit, proposing the town of Savusavu as the location. This announcement comes as more than 70 media professionals from seven different countries gather in Alofi, Niue, for the ongoing 7th PINA Media Summit.
A decision regarding the host country for the 2026 summit is anticipated later this week. The summit, which commenced today, has already featured four pre-summit workshops in which participants engaged in discussions on several key topics, including the strengthening of national media associations, public finance management reporting, and addressing rising climate and environmental concerns within the Pacific region.
A highlight of this year’s pre-summit activities is a “Women in Media” workshop organized by femLINKpacific with support from The Asia Foundation, aiming to improve gender representation in media leadership roles. This session has attracted over 15 participants from different organizations across the Pacific and Australia.
The main summit will revolve around the theme “Navigating Media Resilience: Press Freedoms, AI, and Geopolitical Interests,” focusing on how Pacific media can navigate technological advancements and external pressures. Stanley Simpson, general secretary of the Fijian Media Association, highlighted PINA’s crucial role in influencing regional media and upholding journalistic standards amid these challenges.
Throughout the week, attendees will delve into the impacts of AI on journalism as well as the vital need to protect press freedoms. The summit will wrap up with the release of the “State of the Pacific Media Report,” which will be followed by the PINA Annual General Meeting.