Cyberspace news on campus: The South Pacific experience

Since 1998, Pacific Journalism Online training website at the University of the South Pacific provided an innovative and problem-based approach to internet news gathering and production based on real and major media assignments. Among events used as integrated journalism training assignments for student journalists from the twelve member countries of the regional university have been George Speight's putsch (May 2000), the Fiji barracks mutiny (November 2000), Fiji General Election (August 2001), treason trials and court martial (2002) and several international conferences based at Nadi and Suva. In addition, the students have covered key events on campus such as investigating alleged corruption by the student administration. In this article, the author outlines the "reality" course methodology and strategies in providing news training from a campus-based newsroom.