The island nation of Palau is preparing to host the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting for the third time in more than five decades. Leaders from 18 member countries will convene in Koror to discuss the region’s priorities.
For the Palau Media Council (representing journalists, broadcasters and media workers), PIF prompted a training opportunity for covering a major event.
ABC International Development (ABCID) delivered skills development to the Palau Media Council as part of the Regional Media Support Fund (RMSF) supported by the Australian Government. Training focused on reporting skills for major events coverage, as well as etiquette in covering high-profile issues and officials. Training also included developing effective coverage plans for the event.
‘We wanted to equip local journalists with enough confidence and experience to go into something as big as PIF with the tools they need to work with foreign journalists and get the best out of their stories,’ says ABCID trainer and journalist, Richard Davies.
Practicing scenarios that could happen at PIF unlocked learnings for many.
‘That really opened their eyes as to how dynamic a press conference can be.’ says Davies.
For participant Ohanna Galo from TV network Talungab Media Company (TMC) Palau, exercises recreating the bustle of a large media pack were especially useful.
‘The biggest change is how to handle questions during a doorstop or press conference,’ says Galo. ‘It’s given me courage to do it because as a journalist you need to ask questions.’
Daigo Taima, from TMC Palau, says learning how to present himself in different scenarios is useful.
‘The doorstops helped me understand how chaotic they can be. It was a good learning experience.’
Both Taima and Galo expect to see climate change emerge as the major issue of PIF in 2026.
‘It’s going to be a big topic, especially as some of the [attending] countries rely on tourism, fisheries and agriculture. They will talk about climate change, how they’ll handle it and how funds are going to be distributed,’ says Galo.
It’s this ABCID training that Galo says will help her communicate PIF issues more effectively to both local and international audiences.
‘I can contribute more to the people by sharing what they need to know.’
ABCID trainer Richard Davies says participants’ new skills will be used throughout their journalism careers, beyond PIF.
‘These are skills that you learn once and then put into practice any time you’re in the same situation.’
‘One person said it took them ten years to learn what we were teaching them [in a few days]. It was great to leapfrog ten years and give [local media] the skills and experience that they need to go forward as credible and confident journalists.’
The 2026 PIF training builds on previous RMSF support to the Palau Media Council to cover the Pacific Mini Games in 2025.
This activity was delivered by ABC International Development and supported by the Australian Government through the Regional Media Support Fund.
