28/07/2025
Earlier this year I did a Political Economy Analysis of PNGs media landscape.
Apparently, the Geopolitics in the region has taken advantage of lack of support to the industry and the realization that media has the influence of control.
China has established its media fellowship scheme and for the Pacific, so is Australia.
She has increased support like ever before. I noticed a concerning pattern. It started off with countering aid support, then to scholarships and in recent times a major investment into the media space.
What does this means for PNG Media?
It means we have more opportunities and risk at the same time.
We could be pulled left or right, but the we got to be sharp in Identifying essence of Foreign Information Manipulation and be able to build stronger systems to remain independent.
See, independent media obviously can't be sandwiched into Geopolitics, though it is critical for media to understand the trend in Regional Geopolitics.
Take it for example, an MP funding us for a project site visit. Obviously he has his expectations and that affect how we report too.
That said, we scale up to influence of regional Geopolitics.
A few days ago, I read about the Summit on Ethical use of digital media and AI Deepseek in China attended by NBC. It aligns with Chinese funding to the NBC Analog-Digital transformation project through ABD.
There will be more of such support as Geopolitics intensify in the region unless there is another pull factor influencing development space.
The next approach China may take is finding CSOs and Local NGOs directly, having direct impact rural population, cut out rigirous bottle neck requirement and fund them with unattached grants.
Right now, these local NGOs and CSO are so pressured by donor due diligence requirements to the point managing donor expectations is a burden. I have been there and I can attest to this.
China is watching that space and once she steps in, its game changer for community programming/projects.
The focus on media may shift depending on where Australia is investing in or vice versa with China.
For now, Media will be trapped in between when the support given is tied to Geopolitical maneuver in disguise as supposed to an independent /untied support where media or recipient state(s) decide what best suits them and the pace in which it they can meet the requirements.
What I found out from my desk top research (Analysis) was the danger of foreign Information Manipulation on PNG's fragile media industry plus development narrative. The same in neighbouring Pacific Islands like in Vanuatu, SI and others.
Understand local context and working within confines of their already challenging environment is the viable approach.
Reading both this article by PC online and one from NBC News PNG online triggered me to share finding from my PNG Media analysis done over a period of 6 months (October 2024-March 2025).
For the benefit of Media Audience, I will be sharing key information on how the challenge for influence kept shifting and targeting key influencial industries /sector in our Pacific Island region.
There is a clear pattern in Geopolitical ushering in PNG and Pacific and unless we understand and appreciate the realities, we can maneuver without intensify the challenge for Influence.
Perhaps China can offer one of two good things than Australia and vice versa in our interest.
We could be open to partnership and not being selective because of a narrative that doesn't represent vast majority of our citizens information need.
At 50, we have to be very critical as a people and a country to the food we are fed and what nutrition value it contains- we could accept only ingredients to cook local delicacy with taro or sago. It only makes our local dishes delicious but doesn't change our staple food.
Liklik lukuk Ingights.
Ref: *https://www.postcourier.com.pg/welcome-to-the-ancestral-country-of-the-gadigal-sydney-people/
*https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ako6siGdn/
PNG journalists and government media officers were officially welcomed today by Metropolitan Local Aboroginal Land Council Elder Uncle Brendan Kerin.
