Fiji has officially put forward a bid to host the 2026 Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Media Summit, proposing the town of Savusavu as the location. The announcement was made as over 70 media professionals from seven countries gather in Alofi, Niue, for the ongoing 7th PINA Media Summit. A decision on which country will host the summit in 2026 is expected to be made later this week.
The summit, which kicked off today, has already included four pre-summit workshops. Key topics of discussion have included the enhancement of national media associations, issues around public finance management reporting, and addressing emerging environmental and climate trends in the Pacific.
One significant aspect of this year’s pre-summit is the “Women in Media” workshop, spearheaded by femLINKpacific and supported by The Asia Foundation. This workshop aims to improve gender parity in media leadership and representation, attracting more than 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.” Sessions are designed to address how Pacific media can respond to technological advancements and external pressures. Stanley Simpson, general secretary of the Fijian Media Association, highlighted PINA’s influence in shaping regional media and upholding journalistic integrity amid these challenges.
Over the course of the week, attendees will delve into the role of AI in journalism and the critical importance of protecting press freedoms. The summit will conclude with the release of the “State of the Pacific Media Report,” followed by the PINA Annual General Meeting.