Last week the Solomon Times Online published an article saying how in a recently published research paper funded by the University of the South Pacific (USP) the theme of the research was to explore journalism culture in the region.
The findings of the research I believe featured in the latest Journalism Review and offered insights into possible remedial methods and actions.
The article can be found on: https://bit.ly/3beSCvO
In the Solomon Islands the country is blessed with a free press and an organization (MASI) I acknowledge as working towards truthfulness and honest reporting in journalism.
I have noticed, however, a tendency in some media towards polarization of the public, rather than what can, and should be written, to depolarize discourse, heal divides and promote national unity.
Readers to my website www.solomonislandsinfocus.com have often said there should be more reports of countrywide happenings and events, rather than an over concentration on urban news events.
Personally, I have found the series of articles by the freelance journalist writing for the Solomon Times Online about the lives of ordinary citizens to be well worth reading for they show how those citizens work to support themselves, their families and are the back bone of the nation.
In a similar manner, I see how Solomon Airways, with its fleet of aircraft as representative of a united Solomon Islands is working determinably to promote domestic holiday travel by regularly using the media to publish holiday destinations with enticing images of holiday spots.
Comment
Perhaps, arising from the USP research findings the data can be used to support the local media organisations and the government to reduce (my perception of polarization) and with a broader spread of news and provincial occurrences to better illustrate national unity.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
