Final-year USP journalism student Sera Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti dedicated her award to her family, USP Journalism peers and indigenous women. Picture: SUPPLIED
By AKANSHA NARAYAN
Final-year USP journalism student Sera Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti believes Pacific voices on the climate fight need to be amplified for big nations to notice and take accountability for their actions.
She recently won the top prize in the tertiary level journalism students category at the 2022 Vision Pasifika Media Award with her two submissions on the environmental impacts of Tonga’s volcanic eruption on villagers of Moce Island in Fiji, and declining fish populations on the livelihoods of Fijian fishermen in Suva.
Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti was beyond humbled to receive the award and expressed her gratitude to God for the opportunity to amplify Pacific voices on climate change.
Originally from Dravuni Village on the beautiful Kadavu island, Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti said Pacific Island countries contributed the least towards climate change and global carbon emissions but were the most affected by it.
“We are known to have a close relationship to the land and sea. To have that severely affected by big world countries whose activities are a big cause of this is unacceptable,” said the student editor of Wansolwara, USP Journalism’s award-winning print and online publication.
“I am passionate about environmental issues and human interest stories. I believe the Pacific stories should be ‘heard’ and ‘told’ from the Pacific Islanders’ perspective and words as it is a crisis they live by and survive every day.
“In Fiji, there aren’t enough journalists covering stories of the environment and how it’s affecting the people. I understand it can be a resource constraint and financially limited area.
“I want to fill that gap in the industry and be able to do something I’m passionate about because it’s incredibly important to tell our people’s story.”
Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti dedicated her award to her family, USP Journalism students, staff, peers and indigenous women.
“So many times, we limit ourselves to what others perceive us, and it will take you to step out of your comfort zone to be able to experience your full capabilities,” said Tikotikoivatu-Sefeti, who was also a recipient of the EJN story grant for indigenous reporting, and recently one of the first recipients of the Native American Journalists Association and the Asian American Journalists Association (NAJA-AAJA) Pacific Islander Journalism Scholarship.
SPREP’s acting communications and outreach adviser, Nanette Woonton, reiterated that SPREP recognised the critical role of all media in disseminating public information, education and influencing behaviour for the better.
“At the Secretariat, we are excited to be able to offer the opportunity through these awards to honour and recognise the hard work by our media colleagues in protecting our people and the environment,” she said.
The 2022 Vision Pasifika Media Award was facilitated through a collaboration between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), Internews Earth Journalism Network, and the Pacific Environment Journalists Network (PEJN), with financial support from Aotearoa New Zealand.
The award comprised five categories namely television news, radio production, online content, print media, and tertiary-level journalism students.
Other category winners were Fabian Randerath (television news), Jeremy Gwao (online content) and, Moffat Mamu (print). Randerath was also named the overall winner for his story “Rising Tides – Precious Lives” on Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.
*Akansha Narayan is a final-year journalism student at USP’s Laucala campus, Suva.
