The Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) has launched the first-ever survey dedicated to understanding the experiences and challenges faced by Pacific journalists in upholding freedom of expression and information across the region. Named “For us. By us. About us.”, this survey targets journalists in 14 Pacific countries, excluding Australia and New Zealand, and seeks to document their day-to-day realities in reporting.
Founded over a decade ago, the PFF aims to protect and promote Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts freedom of expression and information as fundamental rights. The survey’s primary goal is to gather robust baseline data on media freedom in the Pacific, according to PFF Chair Robert Iroga.
“We intend to use the survey results to create an inaugural Pacific Islands Media Freedom Index (PIMFI), a standard for measuring Pacific media freedoms that is for us, by us, and about us,” Iroga stated. This baseline data will aid in ongoing monitoring, reporting, and advocacy for media freedom in island nations.
The PFF collaborates with the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) on this project. They plan to unveil the PIMFI and its accompanying report at PINA’s biennial media summit in Niue in September. Internews, a global NGO supporting media development, will also host dialogues at the summit, providing a platform for collective response strategies.
PFF’s Micronesia Co-chair, Leilani Reklai of Palau, emphasized the importance of understanding the unique contexts of media freedoms in the Pacific. “Our Pacific colleagues’ participation in the survey will help us understand the nature and context of media freedom challenges our journalists faced in 2023,” Reklai said.
Polynesia Chair Katalina Tohi of Tonga encouraged broad participation, noting that even those no longer in newsrooms but still in media should share their experiences. “It’s important for people who witnessed challenges to share their story, even if it did not happen directly to them,” Tohi added.
Journalists in Pacific Island nations can participate in the 2024 Pacific Islands Media Freedom Survey at “For us. By us. About us.”
