The 4th Pacific Media Summit has opened in the capital of Palau with a call from the country’s president to the media to be responsible in their use of technology in the practice of their trade
Southseas Broadcasting News Director Monica Miller is one of the presenters at the conference.
The theme of the summit is “Harnessing opportunities for the Pacific Media In the Digital Age.”
Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr., in opening the media summit last night said that his country will experience a dramatic increase in access to and connectivity with the rest of the world with a new fiber optic cable that will be completed at the end of next year.
He said however that while this will be a great source of opportunity it’s necessary to strive to better understand this powerful medium in order to maximize its positive aspects while mitigating its negative ones.
According to President Remengesau, while fiber optic connectivity promises greater ability to share views from the Pacific and garner the world’s attention, the internet also has demonstrated capability to infringe the rights of others, ruin lives and alter people’s futures.
He said the integrity of traditional journalism in the Pacific must be applied to this new medium.
President Remengesau’s call to the media : “from professional journalists to citizen reporters we must continue to foster respect, dignity and diligence… virtues we share across this great Pacific Ocean, among all those who voice matters of public concern.
News Director Monica Miller, a former president of the Pacific Islands News Association is speaking about the use of the internet to promote freedom of the media and freedom of expression
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She co-chairs with a Papua New Guinea colleague Titi Gabi the Pacific Freedom Forum, an online based network of journalists, editors, media organizations and associations that promote and advocate a free and unfettered media.
She will also share the use of technology in in news gathering and distribution .
Monica is also one of 7 senior editors and journalists that the Fisheries Forum Agency has funded to a workshop in Palau, looking at how to improve and increase the reporting of tuna and fish stories in the Pacific media.
