ALOFI, 30 SEPTEMBER 2024 (FIJI TIMES)—Women in Media Fiji co-founder Rosi Doviverata says having the support of male colleagues in the media industry is key to driving women forward.
Speaking at the end of the 7th PINA Media Summit in Niue, Doviverata acknowledged the strong support of men in the media industry who have allowed the creation of a safe space for women journalists.
“One thing I am grateful for is the support of our male allies. We had two of them in the room in Stanley Simpson and Anish Chand,” she said.
“That goes to show that we’ve come this far in Fiji with the support of our male colleagues.”
She said she would encourage male leaders in other regions to also show their support for their female colleagues.
“That is something that I want to encourage across the Pacific. In PNG, in Vanuatu, in Solomon Islands, Tonga and Samoa that our male colleagues need to get behind our women journalists. Just to be there, listen and support them along the way.”
Women in Media (WIM) chapters were represented for the first time ever at the 7th PINA Media Summit.
Meanwhile, finding business solutions for a struggling media industry will continue to be a challenge for the media in the Pacific.
These were the sentiments of Fiji Media Association general secretary Stanley Simpson at the end of the 7th PINA Media Summit in Niue.
Simpson, who led a delegation of close to 20 media officials from Fiji, said the discussions during the event had provided an opportunity for Fiji and participating countries to reflect on their struggles to maintain their various platforms.
“I think we’ve clearly identified some of the challenges basically for Pacific media and that is staying alive and investing in media infrastructure and enabling the media to provide the content that our people need to be able to be informed in this rapidly changing world,” he said.
“I liked the engagements and catching up with our colleagues from around the region who we’ve shared long struggles with.
“Struggles of solidarity, struggles of staying alive and working in a challenging media market that is small and we are struggling to find business solutions to keep going.”
The Fiji Times editor-in-chief and PINA board member Fred Wesley agreed that the challenge was especially prevalent among the print media industry.
He said the PINA board was aware there needed to be plans put in place to ensure the sustainability of the industry.
“There are major challenges,” said Wesley.
“We have been talking about plans that need to be put in place to ensure that the newspaper industry survives.
“Obviously around the world the newspaper industry is being seen as a dying industry.
“This is what we face in the Pacific as well.
“We need to look at newspaper companies in smaller countries like Palau, Niue, Tonga, Vanuatu and Samoa and other countries are facing these similar problems.
“It is a challenge for all of us and we as the PINA board are looking at strategies to put in place to ensure we stay afloat,” he said…PACNEWS