By GINNAH MINI
The Media Council of Papua New Guinea (MCPNG) last Friday hosted the second PNG Media Summit 2026, an event organised by Women in Media PNG, with a focus on preparations for the National General Elections 2027 (NGE2027).
The summit brought together PNG journalists, visiting Pacific journalists, journalism students, public relations and corporate communications representatives, media academics, and other key stakeholders.
In his welcome address, MCPNG President Neville Choi highlighted the media’s priority areas in the lead-up to the elections. These include strengthening factchecking and verification processes, enhancing investigative reporting, and building newsroom capacity to understand artificial intelligence (AI) and tools used to detect AI-generated content.
Speaking during a panel discussion, Acting Electoral Commissioner Margaret Vagi outlined how the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) plans to work with the media to ensure the public receives accurate, timely, and accessible election information.
Ms Vagi said PNGEC is collaborating closely with mainstream media outlets such as NBC and EMTV to ensure information released to the public is sourced directly from the Commission.
Referring to the recent by-election in Dei, Western Highlands Province—where misinformation circulated on social media incorrectly declared a candidate as the winner—Ms Vagi stressed the importance of verification.
“Misinformation in the counting centre must be verified by the returning officer,” she said.
“Verification of sources must be done thoroughly, and the media must also have a copy of what is being officially released.”
Ms Vagi added that PNGEC will conduct training for media personnel in the coming months to strengthen their understanding of electoral processes and improve the
dissemination of accurate information, particularly in light of increasing misinformation and AI-generated content ahead of the 2027 elections.
She also noted that Sections 126 and 105 of PNG’s Constitution provide the legal framework to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper management of election coverage.