PMC, Red Cross plan war reporting seminar

Pacific Media Centre

The Pacific Media Centre, International Committee of the Red Cross and New Zealand Red Cross are jointly hosting twin special events on reporting wars at AUT University next month. They are:

4.30-6.45 pm, May 24, WA224 (AUT city conference centre): Screening of the film Balibo about the killing of six journalists in East Timor in 1975. Followed by a Q and A session with one of the film's consultants.

7.15-9pm : Reporting Wars: The Ongoing Challenges seminar, featuring a special video message from Chris Cramer of Reuters, New York, and a panel debating cutting edge issues, including the safety and protection of journalists.

The panel will include war correspondents Cameron Bennett (TVNZ), Mike McRoberts (TV3) and independent journalist Jon Stephenson. Guest speaker will be former ABC journalist Tony Maniaty, of the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, who was at Balibo shortly before the TV journalists were killed. He is author of the recent book Shooting Balibo and was a consultant for the making of Balibo.

The seminar will be chaired by Dr Camille Nakhid of the PMC Advisory Board. It follows up two conferences on war reporting in Sydney and Wellington sponsored by the ICRC last May.

A special edition of Pacific Journalism Review will be launched at the event by Jean-Luc Metzker, head of the ICRC Delegation in the Pacific, based in Suva.

Refreshments will be served between the film screening and the seminar.

This will be a compelling event for media and communication professionals, journalism students, NGOs, and those interested in international humanitarian law - don't miss it. Open entry and free.

Register your interest with rosemarie.north@redcross.org.nz

• More information on the PMC website
• The seminar flyer
• Tony Maniaty's website
• ICRC
• NZ Red Cross
  

Café Pacific's new decade media awards

Café Pacific marked the transition into the second decade of the century with six awards to media groups and individuals for their efforts in the Oceania region. Edited by the Pacific Media Centre director, Dr David Robie, Café Pacific provides an independent perspective on the region's media issues.

The awards for 2009:
Newspaper of the Year - The Fiji Times: "The rest of the region can thank The Fiji Times and its battling editor Netani Rika for keeping up the good fight and exposing life under media censorship in Fiji."

Film of the Year - Balibo: "The on-screen version of the murder of five journalists working for Australian media in East Timor at the time of the invasion by Indonesian in 1975 has triggered debate about journalistic professionalism in an age when bravado was perhaps more important than the safety concerns dominant today."

Independent Newspaper - Wansolwara: "Not only did the courageous students at the University of the South Pacific publish a special edition examining the media in Fiji under a military regime, but they also reported global warming, environmental issues and human rights in the region."

Media Monitoring Agency - Reporters sans frontières: "In its roundup for the year, RSF highlighted the Ampatuan massacre [in the Philippines] – largest ever killing of journalists [30] in a single day ... and continued its focus on the Pacific."

Independent Blog - Crosbie Walsh's Fiji: "The former University of the South Pacific professor established his own excellent and reliable information and analysis website in a bold attempt to make sense of the complexities of Fiji’s political, social and economic order since the 2006 coup."

Special Freedom of Speech Award - José Belo: "For remaining defiant in the face of threats and a legal onslaught over his exposes of corruption that could have led to imprisonment in East Timor. He was ultimately saved by the collapse of the trumped up “criminal defamation” case against him and Tempo Semanal."

Report on the awards at Pacific Scoop
Full original citations on Café Pacific