4TH ABU MEDIA SUMMIT
ON CLIMATE CHANGE OPENS IN NADI
Attorney-General Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum said that there needs to be more specialised journalists in the area of climate change and disaster management.
He adds that there are two issues that have become more and more prevalent in Fiji today.
Speaking at the 4th Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Media Summit on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said this was critical for education and awareness in Fiji.
The summit at the Sheraton Fiji, Denarau, is hosted by the Fijian Government, organised by the ABU, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and Fiji TV and attended by media executives and journalists from Asia and the Pacific.
"The media is critical. They play a pivotal role," Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
"Journalists and media organisations simply cannot just come and talk about 'there was a flood and it cost x, y, z.
“In order for them to be a partner in this global phenomena they need to have an approach, or people who specialise in this area.
“Not just specialise in understanding how the wind blows from the east to the north side but specialise in understanding all the risks.
"Media organisations need to perhaps have one or two journalists become specialists in the area of climate change and disaster management.
“They need to have a more sophisticated approach, sophisticated understanding of climate change, of issues such as natural disasters."
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was calling on media organisations in Fiji and the region to invest in their journalists. "Mostly, we have journalists who want to know how much it will cost, when will it be rebuilt, without fully understanding,” Mr Sayed Khaiyum said. “You know we can put up a facade, it would be politically nice to have something go up in two weeks.
"I hope that through this day-and-ahalf that you have, and through your various organisations, you will be able to inculcate an agenda and a sense of sensitivity and a need to have a level of sophistication amongst journalists.
"The sophistication that's there, the data that's there that needs to be elucidated much more."
The summit continues at the Sheraton Fiji resort on Denarau island today with an awards ceremony scheduled for later this evening.
Feedback: lusiana.banuve@fijisun.com.fj