The Acting Prime Minister Biman Prasad has commended The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Journalism Programme for its service to journalism scholarship including its research output in Pacific media, which has been published in top ranked international journals.
Professor Prasad made this remark and highlighted the contribution of the head of the programme, Associate Professor Shailendra Singh, to the discipline, in his keynote and opening address at the Pacific Media Partnership Conference 2025, held at the Suva Civic Centre in Suva, Fiji on February 11, 2025.
He stressed the importance of media training and recommended that media organisations look beyond daily routines and deadlines to reflect on and advance the industry and profession.
“Consequently, research into the media in Fiji and the Pacific is essential to inform and improve journalism,” he said.
“The USP Journalism Programme is the only institution conducting regular research on Pacific media, which addresses a major gap in international understanding of journalism cultures around the world.”
As a strong advocate for media freedom and academic freedom, as well as for knowledge creation, Professor Prasad said the government had restored USP’s annual Government of Fiji grant funding, which the previous government had halted.
Professor Prasad said the restoration of the USP grant revitalised the university’s academic culture and enabled government support for the USP Journalism’s 2024 Pacific International Media Conference in July.
He said such conferences were invaluable because they provided a platform to share ideas, reflect on media practices, and engage in debates.
Professor Prasad, who was a keynote speaker at the 2024 Pacific International Media Conference in Suva, co-edited the book Waves of Change: Media, Peace, and Development in the Pacific with colleagues Dr Singh and Dr Amit Sarwal, former staff of the School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education (SPACE), currently a consultant with the Journalism Programme.
“A chapter I co-authored is titled ‘Peace Journalism and Conflict Reporting in Fragile Pacific Societies: Challenges and Opportunities’.”
“It argues that journalism in the Pacific region must be informed by national and regional contexts, while taking a critical look at alternative reporting frameworks, such as conflict-sensitive reporting, to exist alongside and balance the media’s watchdog role. This is important for the public interest, including holding leaders to account.”
