A two-day digital skills workshop in Savusavu, Fiji has brought together media practitioners from Tonga and five other Pacific countries to explore how newsrooms can better connect with audiences in a rapidly changing digital environment.
The workshop, held 21-22 September at the Koro Sun Resort, was supported by the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) and ABC, bringing together participants from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Palau ahead of the 2026 Pacific Media Summit. Solomone Finau (Tonga Broadcasting Commission) and Siosifa Pomana (Talanoa O Tonga) represented Tonga.
The sessions focused on developing different types of digital content, strengthening digital strategy and making newsrooms more responsive to how audiences consume news online.
A focus on mobile audiences
PACMAS Digital Training Lead James Maasdorp, ABC International Development Digital Transformation Advisor Grant Sherlock and ABC News Digital journalist and producer Daniela Pizzirani led the training.
Maasdorp said the workshop was designed to help previous PACMAS trainees take the next step in developing their content and digital strategies.
The first day examined challenges facing newsrooms and ways to make social media and website content more mobile-first, reflecting the growing importance of audiences accessing news through smartphones. The second day focused on helping newsrooms better understand what their audiences want.
For Tongan newsrooms, the focus is particularly relevant as audiences increasingly encounter news through social media, search and mobile devices rather than traditional news formats.
The workshop also reflects a wider regional shift towards digital innovation. The 8th Pacific Media Summit, being held in Savusavu from 23–25 September, is examining issues including artificial intelligence, digital innovation, media sustainability, press freedom and the challenges facing Pacific newsrooms.
Why it matters for Pacific media
The training comes as Pacific news organisations face pressure from misinformation, disinformation, new technologies and declining traditional advertising revenues.
The summit’s theme “Reaching the Remote: Media and Digital Innovation for a Connected Blue Pacific” puts the focus on ensuring digital developments can help newsrooms serve communities beyond the region’s main centres.
For Tonga, the challenge is not simply adopting new digital tools. It is using them to produce journalism that remains relevant, accessible and trusted while reaching audiences wherever they consume their news.
