Recipients of the 2022 USP Journalism Students Awards with staff and media sponsors in Suva on Saturday. Picture: Yasmine Wright-Gittins
By GERALDINE PANAPASA, Wansolwara editor-in-chief
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all, and we can agree journalism is anything but boring” says final-year journalism student Sera Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti, who was all smiles over the weekend after scooping the Fiji Sun Tanoa Award for the most outstanding journalism student at the 2022 USP Journalism Students Awards in Suva.
Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti praised God for the recognition and urged fellow journalism students to stay true to their calling in the profession.
“Martin Luther King Jr, said, ‘the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” said Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti, who is also the president of the USP Journalism Students Association and recent recipient of the 2022 Vision Pasifika Media Award tertiary level journalism students category.
“We have certainly been through that, through the waves of the pandemic, through the turmoil of the USP saga and experiencing waves of emotions on top of our struggle to meet our deadlines, it has definitely been an experience.”
While acknowledging the support of staff and media partners, Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti said the bond they shared as students in their academic journey was something she would cherish as she looked forward to completing her degree studies.
“We have cried together, starved together, choked coins for bara together and smiled together, your strength and love for the art of journalism continue to inspire me to be the best representative for you.
“It has been my deepest honor and pleasure to have been your president for this year, and I want to thank the journalism team personally, because it is a program that have given so much to me, I came in doubting if I would fit, but the program has opened my eyes, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and made me meet some incredibly inspiring people,” she said.
USP Journalism Programme coordinator Dr Shailendra Singh said the awards event was a tradition for the programme and was held annually to recognise and reward students who had excelled in their work.
He said the event was the longest running media awards in the region, this year marking its 21st anniversary after a lapse of two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Research has shown that Pacific Island journalists are among the lowest paid in the world. It is not necessarily the fault of the media organisations but rather then economics and relatively small media sector in the region,” he shared.
“In spite of the challenges, the Pacific region has a very proud history of journalism.”
A total of 10 students across all three levels of the journalism programme were recognised for their academic and outstanding achievements in print, broadcast and television news production.
This year’s event was sponsored by Fiji Sun, Fiji Times Limited, Island Business, MaiTV, J Hunter Pearls, SportsWorld, Pure Fiji, USP School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education, and Damodar Cinemas. The USP Journalism Programme also acknowledged its media partners Fijilive, Fiji TV, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Communications Fiji Limited, Pacific Islands News Association, Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) for the support in developing regional journalism.
Recipients of the 2022 USP Journalism Students Awards
