Regional journalism just gained a steady and experienced new leader.
Media Council of Papua New Guinea President, Neville Choi has been elected as the new President of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA).
Choi’s path to the top regional post has been steady. He first attended the PINA summit in Niue back in 2024, where he was appointed to the board as a representative for media associations in the region. Following that appointment, a short but stint working with the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) saw Choi delivering training and advice in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, where he met with local media associations and worked alongside fellow Melanesian and Polynesian journalists. His regional outreach also included hosting a delegation from the Media Association of Tonga in the capital city of Port Moresby.
For journalists across the Pacific, his appointment is timely and significant. Across the region, media workers recognize that Papua New Guinea has been leading the way in proving that governments and media sectors can work together constructively without compromising the truth.
Choi didn’t inherit an easy job when he was first appointed president of MCPNG in 2017. Alongside Co-Executive Vice President, Gregory Moses and Secretary Belinda Kora, he has been instrumental in rebuilding the Media Council of Papua New Guinea.
Under their collective watch, the council reviewed its constitution and updated the Journalism Code of Ethics to keep pace with modern realities. They brought in crucial training programs for PNG journalists with the help of partners, introduced the PNG Media Summit, brought back the Media Awards on Media Freedom Day, and successfully revived the National Press Club, giving the people and the press a platform to celebrate excellence and ask the hard questions.
Now, Choi takes that same boots-on-the-ground experience to PINA, representing media professionals across more than 20 Pacific nations. As newsrooms across the islands face pressures from digital shifts to economic hurdles, he steps into the regional spotlight with a proven track record of strengthening institutions, protecting standards, and safeguarding the independence of the free press.
He takes over the regional leadership from veteran Tongan journalist, Kalafi Moala, who was voted in as PINA president in Niue in 2024 and served a dedicated one-term tenure. With Choi’s election, PNG returns to the helm of the regional body, bringing back a presidential post that, before Moala, was previously held by the Managing Director of Papua New Guinea’s National Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Kora Nou for three consecutive terms.
