Old and New Media in the Pacific Islands : synergies, challenges and potential

Abstract

The Pacific Islands region contains very diverse geographic, socio-cultural, political and communication ecologies. Each country has its own unique challenges and opportunities related to communication flows, systems and practices. With growing social media presence in the region, Facebook and, to some degree, Twitter have become sources of information for journalists during natural disasters. Recent studies though have indicated that ICTs are becoming more relevant, and indeed are underutilised for development despite presenting significant potential.

Four case studies from the Pacific Cook Islands Tonga Fiji Papua New Guinea