95bFM: The Southern Cross

Today  Professor David Robie, director of the Pacific Media Centre, tells us about  the Timor-Leste elections on Saturday, the independence movement in Bougainville and the Pacific Media Summit in Tonga.

Postgraduate student journalist from the PMC’s Asia-Pacific Report, Rahul Bhattarai, tells us about the Israeli occupation protests in Auckland at Silo park yesterday.

David Robie gives us the rundown on this weeks Pacific news. We learn about the New Caledonian and West Papuan independence.

Hele Ikimotu and Blessen Tom from the Pacific Media Centre’s Bearing Witness project also join us. They share their stories about their trip to Fiji and the climate project. 

Manager of the NZ Institute for Pacific Research, Dr. Evelyn Masters, Sri Krishnamurthi from the Pacific Media Centre and Professor David Robie, director of the PMC, join us in studio today.

Evelyn and Sri tell us about the The Pacific Research Institute at The University of Auckland.

David gives us the rundown on this weeks Pacific news. We learn about the annual RSD World Press Freedom Index and the accusations that Facebook have been censoring a photograph by a leading photojournalist.

Southern Cross with Jean Bell who is contributing editor at Pacific Media Watch freedom project at the Pacific Media Centre gives us an update on Pacific news.

We learn about an Australian nun being detained in the Philippines, volcanic eruptions on Ambae Island leading to mass evacuations and the managing director of a magazine in Fiji claiming that police attempted to intimidate him and other journalists.

We had Professor David Robie, director of the Pacific Media Centre at Auckland University of Technology on the show today.

David speaks about various upheavals around the Pacific in the past week including the alleged Chinese military base plans for Vanuatu, Nauru abolishing its Appeal Court in Australia, and a huge diabetes health bill blowout in Fiji.

Pacific Media Centre's Jean Bell stops by the studio to discuss a group of customary land owners in Papua New Guinea regaining access to their land, the struggles of delivering education to indigenous peoples in the Philippines and a special new girl band in Papua New Guinea.

AUT students Hele Ikimotu and Blessen Tom also talk about their upcoming trip to Fiji as part of the Bearing Witness programme.

AUT Pacific Media Centre director Professor David Robie and Pacific Media Watch editor Jean Bell joins us in studio to discuss West Papua and the failure of visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo to front up to the media while in New Zealand.

We also chat about the wave of protests sweeping Indonesia due to a new law that criminalises criticism of lawmakers and the Tonga Minister of Education, Penisimani Fifita moving to ban girls from rugby or boxing.

AUT Pacific Media Centres Kendall Hutt stopped by the studio to discuss COP23 negiations and what impact they have in the Pacific, Tongas political Monarchy vs Parliment situation and also the outcome of elections which took place in the Solomon Islands.  

The Solomon Islands have been through a political whirlwind as of late, with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare vacating his role following a non confidence vote. Producer Leonard Powell spoke to AUT Media Centres Kendall Hutt to learn more about the situation, and to discuss what the future of politics will look like in the Solomons. 

Manus Island is home to 600 refugees, who are now without food, water, and medical attention, as their detention centre closes down, there's uncertainty about where they'll go. Joel talked to AUT Pacific media centre's Kendall Hutt about this.