pina website on, but nobody home

Unupdated - new PINA awards announced, but website stays the same

NEWS

Executives and secretariat of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) are "seeking" what appears to be last-minute entries in annual awards, including one for media freedom.

PINA says the media freedom prize is for a journalist, publisher or media person who has been the victim of abuse, assault or violation of media freedom and who has shown bravery in the face of adversity.

In a report apparently only carried by Radio Australia, the association says there have been a number of concerns this year in Fiji, Tonga and Cook Islands. No other media reports about PINA shows up on google news, for example.

CONCERNS

However, from outside PINA, concerns may be expressed at the apparent lack of notice given for the award - with even less time for those outside of Fiji than those inside.

This leaves PINA secretariat open to criticism that it is favouring Fiji applicants, among general suspicions around the region among news media about Fiji domination.

It's a criticism that has not been born with Freedom of Information awardees ranging out wide in the past, from the crusty full frontal assault of Sano Malifa in the Samoa Observer, to the pin drop silence embracing journalism trainee Maire Bopp for her transparency as the first Pacific Islander to go public with hiv.aids.

NO UPDATES

More worrying, there appears to be no official release of the FOI criteria, with nothing showing up on the official PINA website.

Nothing has been added to the PINA website since 14th August 2006. Actual PINA content seems to only come as late as November 2005.

No provision was made in 2005 for the long honoured Freedom of Information award at all.

MEDIA EXCELLENCE

Instead, a page on the PINA site reports itself "pleased to announce" awards for "media excellence."

Linking to the awards page does not return any awardees. Instead, PINA sets a deadline of 5th November 2005 for the awards, just three weeks after the page date of 13 october, information obviously and wildly out of date.

In that three weeks, though, applicants from the world's most remote TV and radio stations were to supply DVD copy to the PINA secretariat. Along with their applications. In writing.

PINA 2007 HONIARA

This year, for the 2007 PINA convention in Honiara, Radio Australia is sponsoring an award for a PINA Pacific Radio Journalist of the Year, but the application process risks riducule as not to having entered the 20th century, let alone the 21st.

"For journalists outside Fiji, entries should be mailed to PINA Secretariat, 41 Gordon Street, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji Islands no later than April 11, 2007."

Only journalists under 30 years of age are eligible to enter this category, and Radio Australia reports that entries close on "April 30" - nice synchronicity that - and "can be left at the PINA Office in Suva, Fiji."

LINKS

Radio Australia - News - Nominations wanted for Pacific media prize
www.pinanius.com