Apec and good news

WITH the globe’s biggest showdown just a few weeks away, the world is zooming in on Papua New Guinea.
Few Apec member countries know that there is a country north of Australia called Papua New Guinea which shares a land border with Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country.
A handful, especially our major trading partners like Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, China, and Malaysia, know some details of our country and what we are like.
The rest see us on the map and have very little knowledge or idea about PNG.
Hence Apec is the eye of the tornado where our friends, visitors
and strangers will come together in Port Moresby and mingle to find out about issues like trade,
climate change, global terrorism, North Korea’s nuclear threats, poverty, etc.
Prior to the visit, search engines like Google are already on fire with Apec attendees trying to find out about PNG.
Law and order and security top the list, while other searches include national monuments, the country’s history, socio-economic status, poverty, political systems, business climate, etc.
The two daily newspapers are enjoying an exponential rise in online readership as Apec participants, as well as the wider population, dig deeper to find out more about PNG and its preparation for Apec.
This is a positive sign for the country because Apec is now compelling major economies to take a serious interest in PNG.
In view of that, how much is being done by the media to project a positive and vibrant image of PNG?
As a regular reader of the two dailies, I am appalled by the volume of negative news that has been published in the past 12 months.
The rate, volume and prominence of negative news being sensationalised is not only worrying to Papua New Guineans, especially on the eve of Apec, but they make you wonder if there is patriotism in journalism in this country.
Many mega corporate representatives of Apec states will be in town to see how best they can engage in economic and investment opportunities given our vast natural resources and conducive government policies.
This in turn will create employment and expand our economic portfolio, putting government in a better financial position to drive the country’s economic and social agendas and improve our wellbeing.
Considering the gains we will get from Apec, we all have a responsibility to showcase this country positively for the visitors.
And the media, in particular, has a primary responsibility to minimise sensational, negative stories about PNG.
We all must rise to the occasion by being conscious and responsible and that calls for a united PNG.

Samson Wena
Kerowagi, Chimbu