Media workshop in Tonga on New Media

Broadcast journalists and media representatives undergoing training in Convergent Journalism in Tonga are excited about the opportunities available on new media platforms.
Organised by AIBD (Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development) with training provided by Mr Thorsten Karg of German media giant, Deutche Welle, the 5-day workshop is designed to enable the participants to repurpose traditional media stories for on-line audiences or into videos.
Regional relevance
Pili Asiata of TV1, Samoa says he’s gaining valuable insight on the impact of the internet on regional media.
“Although internet access is limited in Samoa, it is growing,” he says. “More workers and students are reading local news on-line and social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube are very popular with young people.”
Asiata says his priority is to “set up our own website so we can reach more people - within Samoa and around the world. Ex-Samoa residents in the US, for instance, can log in and listen to our radio programs or watch our local TV programs on-line.”
Sheila Arukesa of Radio Vanuatu says the highlight is “broadening my internet knowledge and capabilities.”
“Our use of the internet at the radio station is limited to email and with this training, we are exploring how blogs, social networking, photo, video and audio sharing sites can expand our audience,” she says.
Blurred boundaries and responsibilities
Workshop trainer, Karg, says that traditional boundaries between the media have become blurred in recent years.
“As journalists, digitalization and the so-called “new media” have opened up new ways of gathering information and getting it across to our audience,” he says.
He warns though that regardless of the medium and technical aspects, it is the main task of journalists to “always deliver clear information, to explain and analyse what is happening and what consequences it may have for the public….to enable them to form their own opinions independently.”
The Convergent Journalism Workshop is a partnership between AIBD and DW-AKADEMIE, with assistance from Tonga Broadcasting Commission, Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Frierich Ebert Stiftung and UNESCO.

Miimama Moutairi of CITV reports from Tonga

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