By Sophie Dillon

James Cook University’s Journalism Department has received a $10,000 grant for a pilot exchange project through The Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS).

The PACMAS Innovation Fund provides support to “Pacific stakeholders and development partners that play a role in media and communications in the region.”

JCU Journalism Lecturers Dr. Maxine Newlands, and Dr. Marie M’Balla-Ndi, will collaborate with Misa Vicky Lepou, Head of Journalism at the National University of Samoa (NUS).

“We needed to choose a South Pacific country where there was an established journalism school or program,” Dr. M’Balla-Ndi said.

“The main journalism school in the region is at University of the South Pacific, in Fiji. However, due to the current regime, this was probably not the best place to conduct a pilot project involving journalism students reporting on good governance and similar issues.

“Samoa represents a perfect place to conduct this project, which also aligns with Vicky’s courses.”

A maximum of 10 students from each university will participate in the exchange.

The project aims to promote greater cultural understanding of the Pacific region, allowing students to explore the challenges and opportunities created by convergent media and digital storytelling practices.

“JCU is one of the most highly populated universities in the Australian Tropics,” Dr. Newlands said.

“Our students are in a very specific place where they can experience cyclones and different cultures, so we wanted to provide this opportunity.”

The main focus of the stories students will engage with will be on cultural sensitivities, environmental issues and good governance in regional areas.

“Journalists are often accused of lacking cultural understanding, especially when they ‘parachute’ into stories; this project is a first step aiming at providing our journalism students with the basic knowledge and tools to avoid insensitive reporting in the region,” Dr. M’Balla-Ndi said.

“Students will be looking at underlying themes and issues that journalists in Samoa and Townsville, have to address,” Dr. Newlands said.

“It’s effectively a no-cost version of studying abroad.”

The budget will be distributed between the project officer, social media costs, as well as equipment for the students and administration costs.

“$10,000 unfortunately doesn’t go very far. But it is a pilot study for a bigger study, with a long-term plan,” Dr. Newlands said.

Misa Vicky Lepou, who is the project officer in Samoa, says there have been many noted issues of cultural barriers hindering the freedom of the press.

“We hope to share the outcomes of this project with the local media industry to help best tackle cultural issues,” Lepou said.

“It is also my hope it will be carried out in other regional Journalism schools with their media counterparts to help foreign journalists report from an independent view that’s culturally respected.”

Student recruitment will start late September, at the end of Semester two, 2014; the program will commence in Semester 1, 2015, ending in June 2015.