Opportunity to join the Online Workshop for Pacific Journalists Covering Forum Economic Ministers Meeting 2020
Background
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) 2020 is taking place remotely on 1-2 July. The two days prior to the FEMM (29-30 June) will be the Forum Economic Officials meeting (also online). FEMM will bring together the economic and finance ministers of the Pacific region, along with the private sector, civil society organisations (CSOs) and development partners, to discuss economic challenges and opportunities in a series of online zoom meetings. The Online Workshop for Pacific Journalists Covering FEMM 2020 (22 June - 2 July) will be an online program that builds the capacity of journalists in the area of economic reporting. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) and the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) are looking for expressions of interest from Pacific journalists who will be covering FEMM and are interested in developing their knowledge and skills in business and economic reporting.
Aim and objectives
The aim of the Online Workshop for Pacific Journalists Covering FEMM 2020 (22 June - 2 July) is to increase discourse of economic development across government, business and civil society by building the capacity of Pacific journalists to report on business and economic development issues. The workshop will provide journalists with:
- Increased knowledge of the agenda of Forum Economic Ministers, including COVID-19 and the Pacific Resilience Facility.
- Connections with, and understanding of, the institutions and key players involved in development financing and economic issues in the region
- Increased skills to initiate debate on the economic issues facing the Pacific during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Skills to identify the information needs of your audience, decode jargon and create accurate and compelling stories
- A supported opportunity to provide comprehensive coverage of FEMM2020, with online 1-on-1 mentoring available throughout from trainers Jemima Garrett and Makareta Komai.
- A network of colleagues working on economic issues across the region with whom they can consult and collaborate.
Approach
The Workshop for Pacific journalists covering FEMM 2020 will comprise 8-10 hours of online workshops and capacity building in the week prior to the meetings, access to virtual press conferences, mentoring and sub-editing support. Online sessions will be conducted via zoom, with efforts to utilise the interactive functions of the platform. Trainers/editors will endeavour to bring the participant journalists covering the meeting together to form a virtual regional news team, providing daily outputs. Stories will be fact-checked and collated in a news bulletin for the meetings. A key output of the activity will be a content log of all stories produced. Where requested, PACMAS can provide a small stipend to participating journalists to cover internet costs to join the meeting and/or purchase headsets that will support participation in the zoom calls.
Tentative program
Monday 22 June - Sunday 28 June
Workshop component, including briefings by PACMAS trainers, Forum secretariat staff and other key Pacific actors, preparation of preview stories with mentoring. The workshops may take the form of 4 x 2-hour online sessions or two 4 -hour sessions or a mix of these approaches pending journalist availability.
Monday 29 June - Thursday 2 July
Coverage of FEMM2020, continued opportunities for training as they arise, one-on-one mentoring on story output.
Friday 3 July
2-hour debrief session
Application details
Journalists from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are invited to apply. Women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The organisers will support successful applicants to make necessary arrangements to enable their participationTbe considered. To be considered, the application form must be completed and applicants are encouraged to include examples of their work. Application forms must be endorsed by the applicants' editors or managers (or be accompanied by an email from the journalist's organisation endorsing their application). Applications are due by Monday 14 June and should be completed online or emailed to johnson.rochelle@abc.net.au
Selection process and criteria
PACMAS will convene a selection panel of representatives from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PAMCAS), the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) to make the final selection. In choosing the right mix of trainees, the panel will consider skills, interest and experience; diversity within the group; and representation from a range of Pacific countries. Applicants will be assessed on the following:
- Experience and interest in reporting on economic and business issues, including previous FEMMs
- Motivation to attend the training
- Endorsement by the applicant's media organisation
About PACMAS
The Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) is a regional media development program that aims to facilitate discourse across government, business and civil society, via Pacific media. The objective of PACMAS Phase 3 (2017 - 2020) is to improve the capacity of journalists and communication practitioners in the Pacific to report responsibly on and mediate discussion about key issues affecting development. APPLY HERE!
