Veteran regional and Tongan media professional Kalafi Moala has been elected as the new President of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), replacing Kora Nou of Papua New Guinea during the PINA General Conference and Annual General Meeting held today at the Okioki Mai in Tamakautonga, Niue. Moala, founder and director of the new online news media Talanoa ‘o Tonga, secured the presidency after a secret ballot vote, defeating Nou 22 votes to 14.
The election saw Kalafi Moala and Leilani Reklai, nominated by Stanley Simpson of the Fijian Media Association, running for the president and vice president positions. Moala emerged as winner in the presidential race, while Reklai won the vice presidency over Iliesa Tora, with a vote count of 27 to 9.
In his acceptance speech, Moala expressed gratitude to those who supported him, stating, “Thank you for your trust in me, thank you for those who have voted.” He emphasized two key priorities for his term: uniting Polynesian and Micronesian media with the wider Pacific and engaging diaspora media in New Zealand and Australia, saying, “It’s not funding that we stand on, but relationships.” Moala is an experienced journalist in the region with over 40 years in the industry.
Outgoing president Kora Nou extended his “heartfelt congratulations” to Moala and the newly elected vice president.
In addition to Moala’s election, several other office bearers were appointed. Leilani Reklai from Palau was chosen as Vice President, while Fred Wesley from Fiji took the role of Print Representative. Other appointments include Neville Choy (PNG) as National Association Representative, Esther Pahivi (Niue) as TV Representative, Robert Iroga (Solomon Islands) as Online Representative, and Katalina Tohi from Tonga as Radio Representative.
The election marks a significant shift in leadership for PINA, which plays a key role in supporting and promoting media development across the Pacific region.
The next PINA Pacific Media Summit is expected to be held in Fiji in 2026.
