AUT - David Robie

Professor David Robie

Director, Pacific Media Centre

Phone: +64 9 921 9999 x7834

Email: david.robie@aut.ac.nz

WT1006A
Level 10
AUT Tower Building
2 Rutland St
AUT University

Reception:
School of Communication Studies
16th Floor

Pacific Media Centre
D-63 School of Communication Studies
AUT University
Private Bag 92006
Wellesley St
AUCKLAND 1142
Aotearoa/New Zealand

Qualifications:

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of the South Pacific (History/Politics, 2004)
• Master of Arts in Journalism, University of Technology, Sydney (1997)
• Certificate in Adult Tertiary Education, Auckland Institute of Technology (1993)
• Certificate in Transitional Teaching (cross-cultural), Auckland Institute of Technology (1992)

Memberships and Affiliations:

• New Zealand Journalists' Union -(EPMU)
• Journalism Education Association (JEA - Australia)
• Journalism Education Association of NZ (JEANZ)
• Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC)

Biography:

Championing media scrutiny in the Pacific

Political crises and indigenous issues throw a spotlight on a region’s news media and its role in democracy. AUT Associate Professor in communication studies and author David Robie believes greater scrutiny of Pacific media and more research will contribute much to the communications industry.

As a journalist covering the Asia-Pacific region for more than two decades, he reported on post-colonial coups, indigenous struggles for independence and environmental and development issues.

Now he is playing a key role in establishing the Pacific Media Centre in 2007 as part of the new Creative Industries Research Institute, with a commitment in to boosting Maori, Pasifika, ethnic and other New Zealand media research and publication. In 2002, he re-established the Pacific Journalism Review academic research journal at AUT’s School of Communication Studies after it was founded at the University of Papua New Guinea in 1994.

In 2010, the  journal won the Creative Stimulus Award for "innovation and contribution in reporting hot topics" at the inaugural Academy Awards of the Global Creative Industries in Beijing, China. 

“Understanding our neighbours is vitally important and researching and publishing on the media is an important goal for good governance for the region,” Dr Robie says.

Dr Robie has written eight books on the region’s politics and media, including Mekim Nius: South Pacific politics, media and education

In 2005, he won the PIMA Pacific Media Freedom award for his contribution to Pasifika journalism education and media freedom in both New Zealand and the region.

He has been an Australian Press Council fellow and as well as editing PJR he is on the editorial boards of Asia Pacific Media Educator, Australian Journalism Review, Fijian Studies and Pacific Ecologist. He is also currently New Zealand representative of the Asian Media, Information and Communication Centre (AMIC).

“AUT is well placed to contribute to wider media research and critically examining media policies and development issues,” he says.

In 2011, he was awarded a Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of his innovative and strong contribution to Pasifika media education.

Cafe Pacific blog

Teaching Areas:

• 149118 Asia-Pacific Journalism (postgraduate)
• 149116 Selected Topics in Journalism or Media Communication Practice
  
• 149110 Media Communication Reading Paper (postgraduate)
• 149109 Journalism Project (postgraduate international internships)
• 147825 Reporting the Pacific Region (Graduate Diploma in Pacific Journalism)
• Doctoral, masters and honours thesis and creative projects supervision.
  
  Recent supervisions and examinations of theses and creative documentary projects include:
  
  
• The role of media in conflict resolution: integrating conflict resolution in a journalism curriculum
• Media and climate change in Kiribati: A case study on journalism in a 'disappearing nation'
  
• Security intelligence and the public interest in New Zealand
  
• The 2000 Speight coup in Fiji: An analysis of the role of The Fiji Times and the impact of partisan media
• The Chinese approach to web journalism: A comparative analysis
• New media and Burmese diaspora identities in New Zealand
• HIV/AIDS in 2010: A case study of four Australian publications
• Morality of argument: Sustaining a state of being nuclear free
• Managing hostile environments: Journalists and media workers - Learning to survive the world's difficult, remote and hostile environments
• Journalese Days, Manila Skies: A long letter home from the Philippines
• The way forward in Kiribati: A case study of the problems facing the emergence of a free media
• The Singaporean social-political blogosphere: Impacts on the mainstream media and government policies on information regulation
• A matter of opinion: A preliminary analysis of the Australian op-ed page
• Maaori media: A study of the Maaori 'media sphere' in Aotearoa/New Zealand
• Blackfella armies - kastom and conflict in contemporary Melanesia 1994-2006 

Research areas:

• Editor of:
  
  Pacific Journalism Review
  
• On the editorial boards of:
  
  AsiaPacific MediaEducator
  Australian Journalism Review
  Fijian Studies
  Pacific Ecologist
  Journalism Research
• Research interests:
  
  International comparative journalism
  Development journalism
  Human rights and media
  Peace journalism
  Media  freedom and Freedom of Information 
  Asia-Pacific media and politics
  Political economy of the South Pacific
  Ethics and media accountability
  Investigative journalism

Publications:

Selected publications

• Robie, D. (2011). Pacific Media freedom 2011: A status report, Pacific Journalism Review, 17(2): 148-186.
• Robie, D. (2011). The campus and the newsroom: Papua New Guinean media in education profile. In Papoutsaki E, McManus M, Matbob P. (Eds.)., Communication, Culture and Society in Papua New Guinea: Yu tok wanem? Madang, PNG: Divine Word University Press; and Auckland: Pacific Media Centre.
  
• Robie, D. (2011). Iconic media environmental images of Oceania: Challenging corporate news for solutions. In Dreadlocks, 6/7. and Creativity and Climate Change proceedings. ISBN 978-1-927184-02-8
  
• Robie, D. (2010). Conflict reporting in the South Pacific: Why peace journalism has a chance. Journal of Pacific Studies, 32(2).
• Robie, D. (2010). Pacific freedom of the press: Case studies in independent campus-based media models. Pacific Journalism Review, 16(2), 99-126.
• Robie, D. (2009). Diversity reportage in Aotearoa: Demographics and the rise of the ethnic media. Pacific Journalism Review, 15(1): 67-91.
• Robie, D. (2009). Diversity reportage in metropolitan Oceania: The mantra and the reality. Media International Australia, 132: 15-30.
• Robie, D. (2009). Behind the Fiji censorship: A comparative media regulatory case study as a prelude to the Easter putsch. Pacific Journalism Review, 15(2): 85-116.
• Robie, D. (2008). Frontline reporting, ethos and perception: media challenges in the South Pacific. Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 49(2), 213-227.
• Robie, D. (2008). The Rainbow Warrior bombers, the media and the judiciary. Australian Journalism Review, 29(2), 49-62.
• Robie, D. (2008). An independent student press: Three case studies from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Aotearoa/New Zealand [book chapter]. In Papoutsaki, E, & Harris, S. (eds.), South Pacific Islands Communication: regional perspectives, local issues (pp. 235-253). Singapore: Asian, Media Information and CommunicationCentre (AMIC).  
• McGregor, J.; Lind, C.; Geary, S.; Misa, T.; Robie, D. and Zweifel,  W. (2007). New Zealand Media Observation Mission Report: 2007  Timor-Leste Elections. Wellington: NZ Electoral Commission. www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/docs/papers/NZtimorreport_2007.pdf
• Robie, D. (2007). Foreign aid in Pacific media education:  Panacea or Pandora's box? Paper presented at the 16th Asian Media,  Information and Communication (AMIC)/1st World Journalism Education  Congress (WJEC) conference in Singapore, June 25-28. Publication  forthcoming.
• Robie, D. (2006). Barbouzes, bullets and beat-ups: South  Pacific media realities. Plenary keynote paper presented at the Media:  Policies, Cultures and Futures in the Asia-Pacific Region conference at  Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, on Nov. 27-29, 2006.  Publication forthcoming. http://www.comminit.com/trends/ctrends2007/trends-350.html 
• Robie, D. (2006). An independent student press: Three case  studies from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Asia Pacific Media Educator, No 17: pp 21-40.
• Robie, D. (2006). 'Four Worlds’ news values: media in transition in the South Pacific. Australian Journalism Review. 28(1): pp. 71-89.
    http://www.jea.org.au/journal.htm
• Robie, D. (2005). South Pacific notions of the Fourth Estate: A collision of media models, culture and values. Media Asia. 32(2): 86-94.
    http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/pqdweb?did=1059106961&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=7961&RQT=309&VName=PQD
• Robie, D. (2005). Pacific newsroom profiles: media literacy and education in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Australian Journalism Review. 27(1): pp. 21-40.
    http://www.jea.org.au/journal.htm
• Robie, D. (2004). Cyberspace democracy: Freedom of speech dilemmas in Pacific journalism education. UTS Law Review (Sydney, Australia). No 5: pp. 131-149.
    http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/UTSLR/
• Robie, D. and S. Singh. (2004). From campus to newsroom in the  South Pacific: Governance and the quest for a professional journalism  ethos. Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji. 2(2): pp. 103-122.
    http://www.fijianstudies.org/fs_contents_vol2no2.htm
• Robie, D. (2003). Wansolwara, convergence and culture: A South Pacific communication case study. Communication Journal of New Zealand. 4(1): pp. 3-16. 
• Robie, D. (2003). Journalism Education in the South Pacific,  1975-2003: Politics, policy and practice. Unpublished doctoral thesis.  Suva: Department of History/Politics, University of the South Pacific.
    http://tala.usp.ac.fj/spydus.html (search for “Journalism Education in the South Pacific“)
• Robie, D. (2001). Coup coup land: The press and the putsch in Fiji. Asia Pacific Media Educator. No 10: pp. 148-162. 
• 1999 Australian Press Council Fellow: David Robie: Report and speeches. Sydney: Australian Press Council.

Selected books

• Robie, D. (2005, memorial edition). Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior. Auckland: South Pacific Books Ltd.
• Robie, D. (2004). Mekim Nius: South Pacific media, politics and education. Suva: University of the South Pacific Book Centre.
• Robie, D. (Ed.) (2001). The Pacific Journalist: A Practical Guide. Suva: University of the South Pacific Book Centre.
• Robie, D. (Ed.) (1995). Nius Bilong Pasifik: Mass Media in the Pacific. Port Moresby: University of Papua New Guinea Press.
• Robie, D. (Ed.) (1992). Tu Galala: Social Change in the Pacific. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books.
• Robie, D. (1989). Och Varlden Blundar. (Trans. By Margareta Eklof). Hoganas, Sweden: Wiken Books.
• Robie, D. (1989). Blood on their Banner: Nationalist Struggles in the South Pacific. London: Zed Books.
• Robie, D. (1986). Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior. Auckland: Lindon Books.
  
  Other books information

Selected Journalism

• West Papua a media black spot, New Maltida e-magazine (with A. Perrottet), 24 October 2011.
  
• The darker side of paradise, The Walkley Magazine, October/November 2010
  Indonesia's Jawa Pos - a remarkable success story, Pacific Scoop, 16 July 2010 
  Fiji censorship by 'legal camouflage', The Walkley Magazine, May/June 2010
• Fiji media fights on for free press, New Zealand Herald, 16 April 2010
  Researchers call for deeper understanding from coup reporters, Asia Media News Daily, 14 May 2007
• The Pacific in 2007: Handle with care, NZ Listener, 13-19 January 2007 
• Fiji: Democracy by the gun, NZ Listener, 23-29 December 2006 
• Censors and beat-ups in the South Pacific, Asia Media News Daily, 8 December 2006
  
• Revisiting French terrorism in the Pacific: Rainbow Warrior revelations, The Pacific Ecologist, Winter 2006, pp. 26-29.
    http://pacificecologist.org
• The curse called Bravo, Spasifik Magazine, September 2005 
• At the end of the Rainbow, The Waikato Times, 9 July 2005 
• The perils of South Pacific reporting, Asia Media News Daily, 22 March 2005 
• Profile: The South Pacific round, The Dominion Post, 12 March 2005
    http://io.knowledge-basket.co.nz/nt/009-01.html (keyword search: David Robie) 
• Coups, politics and the Pacific media, Spasifik Magazine, March 2005 

Awards:

2011 - Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Award for innovative media education at AUT University.
2010 - Creative Stimulus Award for academic journals as editor of Pacific Journalism Review for "innovation and contribution in reporting hot topics" at the inaugural Academy Awards of the Global Creative Industries in Beijing, China. 
2010 - UNESCO University of Queensland Press Freedom Lectures Fellow.
2009 - Nominated by two organisations for the global Communication and Social Change Award.
2005 - Pacific Islands Media Association Pacific Media Freedom Award for "outstanding contribution to the development of journalists in the Pacific and New Zealand".
1999 - Australian Press Council Fellowship for touring Australia to present papers, talks and publish a media freedom report.