Pacific affairs attract media student

A desire to learn more about Pacific countries address issues is one of the many reasons communications student Henry Yamo is covering his second consecutive Pacific Leaders Forum.

The AUT student will be hosted by and based at Cook Islands News during next week’s Forum.

A primary school teacher for 11 years in the South Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, Yamo made the crossover to journalism with the intention of illustrating some of the problems he had faced while in his former job.

”I knew I would not be the solution but would be able to shine some light in order for people to see what was happening in some sectors of society,“ he said.

Having moved to New Zealand to undergo a Master of Communication Studies at AUT University in Auckland, the obvious differences in the standards of living and learning certainly took some getting used to, Yamo said.

But perhaps the biggest difference between the two countries is the opportunities on offer to him in New Zealand, most notably being able to attend last year’s Pacific Leaders Forum in Auckland.

”This has contributed a lot to broadening my personal capacity and to look at the profession in a broader perspective.“

Yamo, who is studying within the university’s Asia-Pacific journalism course, is the only media student attending the forum and will be based at the Cook Islands News newsroom.

During the meet, he will be reporting back on the forum from a Melanesian perspective for the Pacific Media Centre (PMC) and the Pacific Scoop website.

”The PMC’s continued support and gesture has allowed this to be my second time to cover the PIF as a student.“Yamo graduated from Divine World University with a Bachelor of Communication Arts (Journalism) and is studying towards a Masters of Communication Studies at AUT University.

His thesis discusses the use of mobile phones to further communicate in the health sectors in rural communities in his native Papua New Guinea.

This month’s forum will be just as valuable for the former teacher, who will be attending the meeting after covering the previous meeting in New Zealand last year.

”I believe the gains would be a good experience and exposure covering regional events, building confidence and broadening my personal horizon to capture a bigger picture surrounding regional development issues affecting the welfare of Pacific nations,“ he said.

Yamo has also made a key contribution to a book released in March entitled, ‘Communication, Culture and Society in Papua New Guinea: Yu Tok Wanem?’.

Yamo’s chapter on the use of the Tok Pisin language in HIV and AIDs campaigns in Papua New Guinea was given special mention by media and broadcasting training consultant Patrick Craddock in his review of the book.

”His findings make depressing reading but his topic is fascinating,“ Craddock wrote.

Yamo is looking forward to networking with other Pacific journalists as he had done last year.

”It was a wonderful experience last year to rub shoulders with journalists from different countries and organisations and I look forward to a similar experience this year,“ Yamo said.