Leadership is crucial in advocating for media freedom and journalism, especially given the challenges faced by Fiji over the past 16 years.
Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Communications, Manoa Kamikamica, emphasized this point while opening the 2024 Pacific Media Conference in Suva yesterday.
He acknowledged the media industry’s role in promoting democracy and reflected on Fiji’s strides towards media freedom.
“It’s amazing how things have changed, and this conference is somewhat a tribute to the new Fiji and what we are trying to do in this country,” he said. “To develop media freedom and ensure that we are able to express our views freely without fear or favor.”
Kamikamica pointed out that progress is evident and acknowledged that freedom of expression sometimes brings criticism, which can be challenging but is an integral part of true media freedom.
He noted that the repeal of the Media Industry Development Authority Decree and the launch of the Fiji Media Council were among his noteworthy achievements.
“It’s a reflection of how far Fiji has come in the last 16 years and what hope there is in the years ahead, placing importance on the need to support media freedom in democratic institutions,” Kamikamica remarked. “But one of the greater outcomes is an ability to then understand what people need and what issues and try to do something about it from the Government.”
The Minister encouraged the media industry to bring forward issues or suggestions to help the Government better understand the needs of the people.
He celebrated Fiji’s milestone in joining the United States Agency for International Development’s Democracy Delivers Initiative, which promises more resources to support Fijians.
“We are now seen as a free country and that it will be positive for investment, for opportunities for growth in the country – more jobs for people,” he stated. “It’s a day to celebrate in sort of reminding ourselves of where we’ve been and now as a country we can continue to work together.”
The conference, organized by the University of the South Pacific in partnership with the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and the Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN), will run for three days.
Key themes discussed during the conference include media and geopolitics, digital disruptions and Artificial Intelligence (AI), social cohesion, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, as well as media entrepreneurship and sustainability.
The conference concludes tomorrow.