Robert Hooper: Promoting Independent and Free Media in Fiji
10/05/2010
Professor Robert Hooper assisted the national news service of the Republic of Fiji, Fiji-TV News, upgrade current affairs reporting and documentary program production during August and September. The five-week program was part of a grant from the Department of State to strengthen independent media and press freedoms in Fiji during a period of political crisis. He was based in Fiji’s capital, Suva, on the island of Viti Levu.
Following Fiji’s fourth coup in 2006, the relationship between the government and the media deteriorated and media freedom was suspended under an emergency degree. Under this 24-month program, UC San Diego seeks to strengthen journalism capacity in Fiji’s broadcasting industry and expand journalism education at its premier university, the University of the South Pacific (USP), a regional campus that serves 12 Pacific island nations. As a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Fiji in 1994, Professor Hooper helped develop the new Journalism Program at USP under a grant from the French government. He trained the original news staff of Fiji-TV during the first year of operation.
The current program will build capacity in broadcast news and documentary television production and provide investigative journalism training to Fiji-TV staff and producers as well as independent journalists. It will assist in the production of news, documentaries and other programming. UC San Diego will also assist the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific with broadcast journalism course development and instructor training to help build a stronger future generation of independent journalists in Fiji.
Click here to view pictures from Professor Hooper's trip.
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