French Funded Journalists At Noumea Art Festival

French Government Funds Journalists To Cover Arts Festival In Noumea

SUVA: The French Government is funding a number of Pacific journalists to cover the 8th Festival of Arts in Noumea next week, Pacnews reports.

At a signing ceremony in Suva today, new French High Commissioner Jean-Pierre Vidon said his country was pleased to be associated with the Pacific media in the coverage of the South Pacific Festival of Arts.

"This festival generates much interest in and outside the Pacific, attracting major international media. But one has to realise that coverage for a world audience and local coverage are indeed two different things. The overall result is a wider communication through the whole Pacific," Vidon said.

Vidon said he would like to see an increasing flow of news exchange between the English-speaking Pacific Island countries and the French-speaking territories of New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.

"It is very encouraging to witness ten months later that the Oceania Flash email news service at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community's (SPC) Media Centre produces on a very regular basis in English about the French territories."

The French Government is funding Fiji Television's Richard Broadbridge, Pacnews journalist Matai Akauola and a three-member team from SPC's regional Media Centre.

The 8th Festival of Arts in Noumea, New Caledonia, begins on October 23. It will be a gathering of more than 2500 artists, dancers and musicians from the Pacific. - PNS

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE: http://www.pmw.c2o.org

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