8.00am: Registration.

8.45am: Welcome and Introduction, Associate Professor Shailendra Bahadur Singh, USP Journalism.

8.55am: Opening remarks and Introduction of Chief Guest, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Hon. Manoa Kamikamica, Dr Matthew Hayward, Acting Head of School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education, USP.

9.00am: Address by Chief Guest Hon. DPM Manoa Kamikamica.

9.25am: Address by major sponsor: Mr John Degory – Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in Fiji.

9.35am: Address by major sponsor: Ms Irene Jay Liu – Regional Director, Asia & the Pacific, International Fund for Public Interest Media.

9.35am-10.30am – Group photo, morning tea, networking.

10.30am: Keynote address – Professor Cherian George, Baptist University of Hong Kong. Cracks in the Mirror: When Media Representations Sharpen Social Divisions.

Moderator: Dr David Robie

11.00am: Plenary session— Media, Community, Social Cohesion and Conflict-Prevention.

Speakers: Dr Usha Harris, Ms Khairiah A Rahman, Dr Avinesh Kumar, Dr Robert York

Moderator: Mr Nilesh Lal.

12.15pm-1.15pm – Lunch.

1.30pm: Keynote address — Dr David Robie New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM), Asia Pacific Media Network. Frontline Media Faultlines: How Critical Journalism Can Survive Against the Odds.

Moderator: Professor Cherian George.

1.55pm: Parallel session 1-A— Social Media, Digital Disruption and Artificial Intelligence. Speakers: Ms Nitika Nand, Dr Fiona Willans, Mr Mochamad Achir, Mr Jope Tarai.

Moderator: Professor Emily Drew.

1.55pm: Parallel session 1-B — Pacific Media, Geopolitics and Regional Reporting. Speakers: Ms Lice Movono, Ms Marsali Mackinnon/Mr Kalafi Moala, Mr Nic Maclellan, Dr Nicholas Hoare.

Moderator: Dr Shailendra Singh.

3.10pm-3.40pm – Afternoon tea.

3.40pm: Parallel session 2A— Navigating Media Law, Ethics, and Practice in Pacific Democracies.

Speakers: Professor Mark Pearson, Dr Amanda Watson, Mr Jope Tarai.

Moderator: Dr Usha Harris.

3.40pm: Parallel session 2B—Media, Democracy, Human Rights and Governance:

Speakers: Dr Mosmi Bhim, Ms Lara Anwar, Professor Emily Drew.

Moderator: Ms Khairiah A Rahman

4.40pm — Break.

6.00pm — Conference dinner, book launch & 30th anniversary celebration of PJR

Chief Guest: PNG Minister for Information & Communication Technology, Hon. Timothy Masiu.

Keynote Speaker: Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Finance Hon. Professor Biman Prasad.