Media release | Saturday, 13 July 2024
Today Australia announced an Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy to provide a framework for expanding Australian broadcasting and media sector engagement across the region.
Asia-Pacific Development Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue (AP4D) welcomes the establishment of an Indo-Pacific Media Fund fund to support newsrooms in the Indo-Pacific.
The Strategy is in line with recent AP4D recommendations to bolster regional media operations crucial for democracy, development and good governance.
AP4D Executive Director Melissa Conley Tyler said:
“Journalism plays a crucial role in the Indo-Pacific. It is always welcome to see Australia support the media ecosystem that is vital to development, democracy and good governance.
“Our recent consultations with Pacific Islands media – including in PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga and the Cook Islands – showed many newsrooms rely on ageing infrastructure, and struggle to access funding to support publishing and broadcasting.
“AP4D strongly supports investments to support the financial viability of Pacific newsrooms and expand access to journalism.
“A robust media sector is crucial to counter the rapid spread of mis- and disinformation and to shape the trajectory of the region in the context of strategic competition.”
For more information – including details for Pacific media consulted for AP4D’s paper – contact Melissa Conley Tyler on 0409 765 787