Max Stahl talking about his new film, The Reconciliation, at the PJR2014 conference. Image: Del Abcede/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Pacific Media Watch

British cameraman and film maker Max Stahl risked his life 23 years ago to record Indonesian troops shooting and beating to death scores of young people in the Santa Cruz cemetery in the Timor-Leste capital of Dili.

He buried the footage of the 12 November 1991 massacre in the cemetery before retrieving it later that night and smuggling it out to show the world.

It was one of the most horrifying scenes ever to be recorded on tape and ultimately led to Indonesia relinquishing control and Timor-Leste becoming independent in 2002. Read more »

Press Release – Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party

The Cannabis Party, which held its annual conference this weekend, has welcomed news of a cross-party breakthrough on medical marijuana in Australia. Read more »

Conference delegates celebrate 20 years of publishing of Pacific Journalism Review at the conference last night. Image: Joseph Fernandez/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Paul Kendon and Tom Carnegie

Two Australian media academics have called for placing student journalists with community groups to “create relationships” before writing articles.

Speaking at the Pacific Journalism Review conference at AUT University yesterday, their message continued a trend of offering delegates a wide range of research topics, including place, space and culture journalism.

Other topics included an emerging Team Australia concept, West Papua journalism freedom and trauma reporting. Read more »

Press Release – Project SafeCom

“The fact that the UNHCR Representative in Indonesia, Mr Thomas Vargas, has claimed that at least ONE HUNDRED BOATS have departed for Australia calls for immediate demands on Immigration Scott Morrison and the Chief of the Immigration and Border … Read more »

Press Release – Massey University

Caption: Apirina Pewhairangi (second from left) with his father Tu Pwhairangi, mother Irene Pwhairangi and sister Te Ataakura Pwhairangi; and Dr Petina Winiata with her brothers Huia and Kimo Winiata. Read more »

Press Release – Office of the Clerk

There were 15 committee meetings, one in Auckland and 14 in the parliamentary complex. Read more »

Republika’s Ricardo Morris (from left), University of the South Pacific senior journalism lecturer Shailendra Singh and Wansolwara’s Eliki Drugunalevu. Image: Del Abcede/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Paul Kendon

A Fiji publisher and media freedom advocate today likened his country’s media and political experience between the 2006 coup and the September elections to the opening lines from the Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness …”

Morris, editor and publisher of Republika magazine and president of the Fijian Media Association, told the three-day Pacific Journalism Review conference news media before the 2006 military coup had been fractured but rules and regulations since had effectively put a “noose around the media’s neck”. Read more »

Press Release – Samoa Business Network

The Samoa Business Network (SBN), in collaboration with the Pacific Business Trust (PBT), is excited to host the final SBN networking event for the year. The keynote speaker for the night is the legendary trailblazer in business and COGITA … Read more »

Press Release – High Tech Youth

Start your shopping early at the Christmas Charity Auction A team of 30 key members from Fletcher Building, part of their Leaders Edge group, have selected the High Tech Youth Network to be the recipient charity for a Christmas Charity Trademe Auction … Read more »

The list of the killed journalists and news workers gunned down at the Ampatuan massacre in 2009. Image: John Miller/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC news desk

Photojournalist John Miller was on hand to catch images from last night’s vigil for the journalists and media workers killed in the Ampatuan massacre five years ago in the Philippines.

The 32 media people were gunned down as part of a massacre of 58 people in a political convoy in the southern province of Maguindanao on 23 November 2009.

Several media freedom and human rights groups took part in the vigil held at AUT University featured in a conference marking 20 years of publishing Pacific Journalism Review. Read more »