8th Pacific Media Summit

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Salutation

  • Esteemed Representatives of Regional and International Organisations;
  • Leaders and Representatives of Media Organisations from across the Pacific and Beyond;
  • Members of the Diplomatic Corp;
  • Development Partners;
  • Distinguished Guests;
  • Ladies and Gentlemen.

 

Ni sa bula vina’a, and a very warm welcome to Savusavu — Fiji’s Hidden Paradise.

 

 

Let me first begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we stand today, i na vanua va’aturaga o Nasavusavu, Turaga na Tui Nasavusavu and I pay my respects to their Chiefs, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

I acknowledge their enduring role within the Vanua, we remain grateful for their custodianship, which allows us to convene for this important occasion and celebrate this important milestone.

 

Introduction

  • It is a great honour and pleasure to officially open the 8th Pacific Media Summit.

 

  • I am particularly pleased that this important regional gathering is being held here in the North. After many years, it is good to see the Pacific media community coming together outside Suva and bringing this conversation closer to our communities.

 

  • And for me, Savusavu is also home. I was born in a village by the sea, not far from here. I began my primary education in Drekeniwai, then went to Bucalevu on Taveuni, before continuing my education at Queen Victoria School in Viti Levu.

 

  • So let me share a local secret with you. It is very easy to fall in love with Savusavu and when you do, you begin to understand why I have championed the idea of an Ocean of Peace.

 

The Ocean of Peace and a Connected Pacific

  • I first introduced the concept of an Ocean of Peace in December 2022. Following regional consultation, Pacific Leaders endorsed the Ocean of Peace Declaration in Honiara in September 2025.

 

  • The Ocean of Peace is our shared vision for a secure, resilient, peaceful and united Blue Pacific.
  • At its heart is a simple principle – The Pacific must have a strong voice in shaping its own destiny. It is about sovereignty, peaceful resolution of conflict, regional unity, environmental security and human security.

 

  • These principles are closely connected to the theme of this Summit: “Reaching the Remote: Media and Digital Innovation for a Connected Blue Pacific.”

 

  • This is a timely theme. Our geography has always presented challenges. Our people are separated by vast distances of ocean. But digital innovation is helping us bridge those distances.

 

  • It allows information to travel faster. It allows communities to connect. And it allows voices from our most remote islands to reach national, regional and global audiences.

 

  • A truly connected Blue Pacific must ensure that no community is left unheard and no citizen is left voiceless in decisions that affect their future.

 

The Role of the Media

  • So, what role does the media play in this vision of an Ocean of Peace?

 

  • I believe there is an opportunity for what we might call Constructive Pacific Journalism. This does not mean less independent journalism.

 

  • It means journalism that remains independent, fearless and questioning, while also recognising its ability to connect our people and strengthen our region.

 

  • As the Fourth Estate, the media has an essential role in a healthy democracy. You must ask difficult questions. You must investigate. You must hold institutions to account and where the evidence demands it, you must expose corruption, abuse of power and failures in public administration.

 

  • That is not a threat to democracy. It is part of democracy.

 

  • In Fiji, one of the early decisions of our Government was to repeal the Media Industry Development Act. We did so because we believe a strong democracy requires a media that is free to question, investigate, challenge and inform.

 

  • We also opened the Public Service Broadcasting Grant to a wider range of media organisations. The purpose is clear: to support content that educates, informs and serves the public interest, while helping important information reach all Fijians — particularly those in remote, rural and maritime communities.

 

  • A pluralistic, financially resilient and independent media sector is important to a healthy democracy.

 

Responsible Journalism in the Digital Age

  • But freedom also comes with responsibility. Today, information can travel across the world in seconds.

 

  • A headline can reach thousands of people before the facts have been checked. A false claim can spread before the truth has left the newsroom.

 

  • Artificial intelligence, synthetic content and digital manipulation are creating new challenges for journalists and for the public. This is why professional standards matter more than ever.

 

  • I return to a caution I shared with the media in 1993: journalists must exercise care when reporting events or comments that could inflame social tensions or incite conflict.
  • This is not a call for silence. It is a call for responsible journalism.

 

  • Digital innovation should strengthen public understanding and regional cooperation. It should not become a tool for misinformation, disinformation or sensationalism that divides our communities. This is also why media literacy matters.

 

  • We need citizens who can question what they see and hear. We need journalists who can verify information and we need newsrooms that can adapt to new technologies while protecting professional standards.

 

Fiji’s Information Resilience

  • This brings me to the important work of Fiji’s Ministry of Information. At the Ministry’s inaugural Government Communications Conference in March this year, I launched the Fiji Government’s SAUTU Counter-Disinformation Framework.

 

  • The Framework is intended to strengthen public trust, safeguard democratic institutions and improve our national capacity to identify and respond to false, misleading and deliberately manipulative information.

 

  • I also acknowledge the support of the British Government in strengthening Fiji’s work in government communication and information resilience. But Governments cannot build resilient information environments alone.

 

  • We need professional journalists. We need strong newsrooms. We need media-literate citizens and increasingly, we need cooperation across the Blue Pacific.

 

 

 

Reaching the Remote

  • The theme of this Summit also reminds us of the communities that are furthest from our capitals and major centres.

 

  • For many Pacific communities, distance still affects access to information, education, services and economic opportunities. This is why connectivity is more than a technological issue. It is a development issue. It is an inclusion issue and it is a resilience issue.

 

  • When cyclones, floods or other disasters occur, reliable information can save lives. When communities are isolated, the media can connect them to the wider nation and region. When people have limited access to institutions, journalism can bring their concerns into the national conversation.

 

  • Reaching the remote means reaching the people.

 

Giving the Pacific a Stronger Voice

  • The media also has an important role in how the Pacific tells its own story.

 

  • Our region is on the front line of climate change. Our people depend on our oceans, fisheries and natural resources. Our communities are dealing with poverty, inequality, economic pressures, transnational crime and other challenges.

 

  • These are not simply statistics. They are stories about people, families, communities and livelihoods.

 

  • We need you to reach our distant coastlines. We need you to document what is happening to our oceans, our villages and our communities and we need you to take those Pacific stories beyond our shores.

 

  • We must tell our own stories. The Pacific should not only be spoken about. The Pacific must also speak for itself. This is an important part of building a stronger Pacific voice.

 

Pacific Centre for Communications and Journalism

  • It is in this spirit that I am pleased to support and announce the establishment of the Pacific Centre for Communications and Journalism, through partnership between the Fiji National University and the Fijian Media Association.

 

  • The Centre can provide a platform for professional training, research, regional cooperation and the development of the next generation of Pacific media leaders. It can also help strengthen digital journalism, media literacy and the responsible use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

 

  • Our objective should be clear. We want a media sector that is independent, professional, credible and trusted. A sector that can adapt to technological change while maintaining the standards that give journalism its value.

 

  • I therefore look forward to seeing the Centre grow as a regional platform for knowledge, skills and collaboration and today, I am pleased to formally launch the Pacific Centre for Communications and Journalism.

 

Working Together

  • No Government, media organisation or institution can do this alone. We need Government. We need the media. We need civil society. We need academia. We need development partners and we need stronger regional media networks.

 

  • Our relationship must be based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to the public interest. We will not always agree. That is normal in a democracy.

 

  • But disagreement should not prevent dialogue. It should encourage better questions, better information and better decisions.

 

  • This is how we strengthen public trust. This is how we strengthen our institutions and this is how we build a more connected and resilient Blue Pacific.

 

Conclusion

  • Ladies and gentlemen, the future of our region depends on how well we understand one another, how well we connect our communities and how effectively we work together.

 

  • The Pacific media is not simply an observer of the Ocean of Peace. You are part of building it.

 

  • Through independent journalism, digital innovation and professional integrity, you can help build a Pacific that is better informed, better connected and more resilient.

 

  • As you deliberate over the coming days, I encourage you to challenge yourselves, share your experiences and explore how technology can strengthen Pacific journalism and while you are here, I hope you find some time to enjoy Savusavu.

 

  • You may discover, as I did a long time ago, that it is a difficult place not to love. Thank you for choosing my hometown to host this important gathering.

 

  • May your discussions help ensure that every corner of our Blue Pacific — no matter how remote — can be heard, connected and included.
  • It is now my pleasure to officially declare the 8th Pacific Media Summit open.

 

  • Vinaka vakalevu.

 

  • May God bless you all, and may God bless our Blue Pacific.

 

[ENDS]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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