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Fiji’s mainstream media fight for survival in social media era

By Georgia Brown: Queensland University of Technology
Fijian newsrooms are under pressure to adapt as audiences shift away from traditional media such as newspapers, radio, and television, in favour of Facebook and other social media platforms.

Asia Foundation research showed that Fijians ranked Facebook as their third most significant source of information about covid-19 during the pandemic, surpassing newspapers and “word of mouth”, despite recognising social media as their least trusted…

NZ Media Council upholds complaint about Islamic 'terrorist' description by NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND HERALD
"In the Media Council’s view, the NZ Herald has erred in describing aspects of Muslim dress as that of a terrorist."

The NZ Media Council has ruled that it was inaccurate to describe wearing traditional Islamic dress as being dressed as an Islamic terrorist.

The Herald published a story on 10 September 2024 headed “Avondale College student dresses up as Islamic terrorist, does fake bomb attack stunt on culture…

The West buries a genocide – by making victims of Israel’s football thugs

If the West was really worried about Europe’s Nazi past, it would be better advised to stop stoking an all-too-real new antisemitism -- incitement against Arab and Muslim minorities, writes Pacific Journalism Review contributor and expert on Middle East affairs and the media Jonathan Cook. Thanks to APMN member Adam Brown for alerting us to Jonathan's latest piece. This is very timely given the response in Greece for next week and…

News about Pacific Media : Te Koakoa: Ngā Rangahau

Pacific Media, our new APMN publication is underway, since the 30th anniversary of Pacific Journalism Review.

The Pacific Media publication series offers journalists, journalism academics and community activists and researchers an outlet for quality research and analysis in a long-form article of up to 15,000-25,000 words, or a series of papers, and more opportunities for community collaborative publishing.

While associated with Pacific Journalism Review and modelled on an earlier title…

Rising Tide climate crisis ‘Protestival’ to go ahead despite court ruling

The NSW Supreme Court has issued orders prohibiting a major climate protest that would blockade ships entering the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle for 30 hours. Despite the court ruling, APMN member Wendy Bacon reports that the protest will still go ahead next week.

SPECIAL REPORT: By Wendy Bacon
In a decision delivered last Thursday, Justice Desmond Fagan in the NSW Supreme Court ruled in favour of state police who applied…

New survey finds an alarming tolerance for attacks on the press in the US – particularly among white, Republican men


ANALYSIS: By Julie Posetti, City St George’s, University of London and Waqas Ejaz, University of Oxford
Press freedom is a pillar of American democracy. But political attacks on US-based journalists and news organisations pose an unprecedented threat to their safety and the integrity of information.

Less than 48 hours before election day, Donald Trump, now President-elect for a second term, told a rally of his supporters that he wouldn’t mind…

Gavin Ellis: A day to be gripped by fear – ‘freedom’ will lose its true meaning

COMMENTARY: By Gavin Ellis
This morning, I am afraid. I am very afraid.

I fear that by the time I go to bed democracy in the United States will be imperilled by a man, the nature of which the Founding Fathers could never envisage when creating the protective elements of the constitution.

The risks will not be to Americans alone. The world will become a different place with Donald J Trump once…

Jonathan Cook: Israel kills the journalists. Western media kills the truth of genocide in Gaza

Western publics are being subjected to a campaign of psychological warfare, where genocide is classed as "self-defence" and opposition to it "terrorism". Jonathan Cook reports as the world marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists at the weekend.

ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook
Israel knew that, if it could stop foreign correspondents from reporting directly from Gaza, those journalists would end up covering events in ways far more to…

Filep Karma - a political prisoner who fought racism in West Papua


SPECIAL REPORT: By Andreas Harsono in Jakarta
In December 2008, I visited the Abepura prison in Jayapura, West Papua, to verify a report sent to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture alleging abuses inside the jailhouse, as well as shortages of food and water.

After prison guards checked my bag, I passed through a metal detector into the prison hall, joining the Sunday service with about 30 prisoners. A man sat…

New political book published - Making Connections: Friendship and Politics

Congratulations Heather!
Our chair, Dr Heather Devere, has just received word that her new book, Making Connections: Friendship and Politics, has been published by Palgrave Macmillan. 

This book is a historical review of literature and ideas that make the connections between friendship and politics. Using pertinent quotations from a wide variety of sources, the book is divided into three main parts. Firstly, it explores interpretations of the concept of friendship, tracing…

Islands Business publisher Samantha Magick – storyteller, risk-taker and community champion

By Teagan Laszlo, Queensland University of Technology
For Samantha Magick, journalism isn’t just a job. It is a lifelong commitment to storytelling, advocacy, and empowering voices often overlooked in the Pacific.

As the managing editor and publisher at Islands Business, the Pacific Islands’ longest surviving news and business monthly magazine, Magick’s commitment to quality reporting and journalistic integrity has established her as a leading figure in the region’s news industry.

Magick’s…

Commonwealth takes bold step to protect freedom of expression



Talamua Media
The Commonwealth Heads of Government adopted the Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance at their summit meeting in Apia, Samoa, last week.

These Principles highlight the importance of freedom of expression and media freedom to democracy.  They state that Commonwealth governments “should consider repealing or amending laws which unduly restrict the right to freedom of expression”.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative…