Palau reporter Ohanna Galo at an East-West Center press conference

Pacific Islands journalists "glad they came and learned"
10 journalists from 9 Pacific island countries and territories came to the East-West Center last week to attend several workshops (trade and investment reporting; peace journalism) and cover the two-day Pacific Investment, Security, and Shared Prosperity Summit. (See previous two blogs).

The journalists appreciated the opportunity offered by the Summit Journalism Program. In their written evaluations, they were effusive in their praise:

“I now understand there is a need for more stories on peace journalism, which is the foundation of economic development. …This fellowship is eye-opening.”
--Charlie Piringi, Solomon Islands

“This program has helped a lot to understand the importance of partnership, security, and shared prosperity. The program enabled me to...understand the common issues and challenges that impact the lives of people back home.”
--Denyse Kalau, Papua New Guinea 

Reporter Denyse Kalau from Papua New 
Guinea at the opening of the Pacific Agenda.

“…Being able to understand broader about Asia-Pacific-US trade and economic relations plays a significant role in providing more impactful and informative pieces to our communities.”
--Talaia Mike, Cook Islands

“I love everything that came out of this program. I’m glad I came and learned.”
--Leilani McQuinn, Marshall Islands

“It allowed me from a smaller country in the Pacific to interview high level officials. I also learned new skills in reporting…(The training) gave me an idea of what angle to take, and the right sources to get information from”
--Kuata Taumaheke, Tuvalu

It was very helpful. Understanding the basic information about trade and investments made it much easier to understand the trade discussions and the negotiations involved.
--Timoci Vula, Fiji

The journalists posted numerous reports about the Summit during and after the event. Examples include stories filed in media outlets from the Solomon Islands; Fiji  (FijiLive and Fiji Times); Guam; the Cook Islands; Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. In addition, the journalists are currently working on depth pieces and feature stories based on their reporting at the Investment Summit, including stories about deep sea mining; tourism; military spending and infrastructure; foreign investment and indigenous cultures; and economic diversification—a hot topic since many Pacific Island communities are disproportionately dependent on tourism and fisheries. 

I was impressed by the journalists and their curiosity, ingenuity, and eagerness to learn and to experience reporting about the Summit. Their open minds and cooperative natures made the journalism initiative a pleasure for my colleagues and I. We look forward to working with these journalists and their peers in the Pacific Islands on another project soon. (There is just such a project being planned. Details later!)

Front row--Talaia Mika, Cook Islands; Leilani MacQuinn, Marshall Islands; 
EWC program officer Saw Thinn; Ohanna Galo, Palau; Denyse Kalau, PNG; 
trainer Randy Smith ; Charlie Piringi, Solomon Islands. Back row from left:
Timoci Vula, Fiji; Kuata Taumaheke, Tuvalu; Reginald Chandar, Fiji;
Ezra Toara, Vanuatu; Skyper Opispo, Guam;
Steven Youngblood, East West Center.