BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
FOUNDING editor of Island Sun, a leading newspaper in the Solomon Islands, Priestley Habru congratulated all the awardees of the Media Awards 2022 and said he doesn’t receive academic prizes in high school, win awards in University, or his media career but that does not reduce his passion to reach his goals in life.
Addressing the awardees, Priestley Habru said, “Dream big, work towards that goal and let not the awards, prizes dumped your spirits to achieve that mission you wish to achieve.”
He said that awardees to consider their awards as an incentive and a stepping stone towards achieving the big goal they are aiming for in their professional life.
“May I urge and encourage none awards recipients that this is not the end of the world but continue with your passion in whatever you’re doing or working on either as a camera operator, photographer, graphic artist, radio presenter, court reporter, you name it.
“You have a bigger dream to achieve that should be your goal and what comes in between is either an incentive, a challenge or a stepping stone towards fulfilling that ultimate goal,” he added.
Island Sun Newspaper’s former editor, Priestley Habru who comes from Isabel Province in the Solomon Islands will this year, 2022 pursue his Doctoral (PhD) degree studies in Pacific Security and Geopolitics at the University of Adelaide, Western Australia.
Priestley noted that he also celebrates the fruits of his achievements in some whom he had mentored, worked with and become lifelong personal and professional friends in the media.
He also pointed out that winning an award, for a young journalist who had just started his/her journey in the industry would be a huge boost in his or her carrier.
“It means your future looks bright, this award may drove you to have a permanent job in the mainstream media or elsewhere and may also colours your professional Curriculum Vitae (CV) when applying for a job or further studies.”
Meanwhile, Presley described the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) awards 2022 as an initiative to recognise and to value local journalists’ work in the face of adversity, financial hardships and criticisms.
“Despite all this challenges you all stood tall, so it’s time to celebrate achievements and the future. The industry we are all engage in is somewhat a sensitive and tough industry.
“The rules of engagement are always contested, for example, what journalists see as news may not necessarily what others see it or what journalists regard as fact may not be factual at all.
“However when journalism involvement is applied for public good it can contribute massively to a nation becoming informed and educated about all sorts of issue.
“To become more informed and educated, conveys positive and negative connotation.
“so we have a big responsibility in our hands to stop in sighting the MASI’s to do something bad or giving them the right of factual messages to be informed and make the right decision for themselves,” he called.
