Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Pacific Media Partnership Conference by FAME Chair Shane Hussein.
After a 17-year gap, the Fiji Awards for Media Excellence will return at the end of this year.
The announcement was made this afternoon at the Pacific Media Partnership Conference by FAME Chair Shane Hussein.
Hussein says the FAME awards recognize the outstanding work of Fiji’s media professionals throughout the year.
The awards, last held in 2008, will feature approximately 30 awards across eight categories: Print, Television, Radio, and Digital.
“These awards were the pinnacle of achievements in our media industry, in our media family, and the last awards were held in 2008 because of the imposition of a number of draconian decrees restricting freedom of the press at that time”
Hussein highlights that the awards celebrate the time-tested characteristics of journalism.
He adds that while this year’s revival may not be perfect, it’s important to start somewhere in recognizing the hard work of media professionals.
Fiji Media Council President Agatha Ferei stated that media and communication are essential to any society, and advocating for democracy means advocating for a free media.
She says the FAME awards will not only recognize the work of journalists and reporters but also hold them accountable for the information they disseminate.
“We have also other activities that we’d like to put out, but at the moment I think the first thing is advocating for communication rights in our society, calling on press freedom, people’s right to information and people’s right to access, you know, appropriate information, especially for decision-making.”
The FAME awards will be held on November 29th, with entries closing in August.
This year’s entries will cover the period from August 2023 to August 2024.
