The Pacific Islands Development Program invites submissions to Our Pacific Stories, a series dedicated to celebrating the local and community journalism of our program alumni.

Relevance: Content should center around local and community journalism that reflects Pacific Islander perspectives, voices, and viewpoints. The Pacific Islands means the places, peoples, and societies within what is understood today as the Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia sub-regions of Oceania. To reference current priorities, issues, and concerns relevant to the Pacific Islands region, visit the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Quality: Content should be original, balanced, thoughtful, concise, and tell a compelling story.

Tone: Constructive criticism and analysis of issues that takes into account all relevant viewpoints is welcomed. However, strong political bias, sarcasm, personal attacks, cultural insensitivity, and any form of disparagement is not acceptable.

Style: Writing style should follow the 56th edition of The Associated Press Stylebook. Spelling should follow the 11th edition of the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

Language: Content can be in any language spoken in the Pacific Islands, but English translation or subtitles should be included if the content is not in English. Languages other than English, especially Indigenous languages, do not need to be italicized unless the contributor prefers to do so.

Accessibility: Consider creating content that is accessible to a wider audience, including non-specialists and those with disabilities. This can include adding captions, providing transcripts, or ensuring that visual content is clear and descriptive.

AI Transparency: There is a growing consensus among scholarly organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics, that artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as Chat GPT or large language models do not fulfill the necessary criteria for authorship, as they lack the capacity to assume ethical and legal responsibility for the content they produce. Thus, as a matter of policy, content generated by AI or machine learning tools are not accepted for publication.

Length: Submissions must be between 800 to 1,200 words, excluding citations and references.

Reprints: We accept previously published pieces. Contributors are responsible for providing verification of the required permissions.

Ethical Journalism: Contributors should review and comply with the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics. Local or national media guidelines may also apply.

• Accuracy: Ensure all facts are correct and sourced from reliable information. Avoid sensationalism or exaggeration.
• Respect and Representation: Content must respect the dignity and rights of individuals and communities featured. Avoid stereotypes and ensure balanced and fair representation.
• Informed Consent: Obtain consent from individuals featured in content, particularly vulnerable populations such as children or elders. This includes permission to use their likeness and voice.

Format and Technical Requirements:

• Text: Text should be between 300 and 2,000 words, excluding citations, if any. Submit text files in DOC or DOCX formats.
• Video: Reels should not exceed 60 seconds. Longer digital journalism pieces should not exceed 10 minutes. Submit video files in MP4 or MOV formats.
• Audio: Short-form audio should not exceed 5 minutes. Longer pieces, such as feature stories or podcasts, should not exceed 40 minutes. Submit audio files in MP3 or WAV formats.
• Image: Photos should be high-resolution, at least 300 DPI. Submit image files in JPG or PNG formats. Provide a brief caption for each photo, including the location, context, and any relevant details. Captions should be clear and concise, following AP Style where applicable.

Submission: Submit work online via Submittable. Submissions can be submitted year-round. For questions or concerns regarding submissions, contact pireport@eastwestcenter.org. Contributors can expect a publication decision email within approximately one to three weeks after submission.

Editorial Rights: The Pacific Islands Development Program decides what gets published, and we might edit for length and clarity. No submissions are compensated.

The Pacific Islands Development Program's quarterly publication Visions & Voices welcomes submissions of essays, articles, commentary, and concise pieces that pertain to the Pacific Islands region.

Relevance: Submissions should focus on Pacific Islands-related issues. The Pacific Islands means the places, peoples, and societies within what is understood today as the Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia sub-regions of Oceania. The subject matter should maintain its relevance for a minimum of six months after publication. To reference current priorities, issues, and concerns relevant to the Pacific Islands region, visit the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Quality: Submissions should be original, balanced, thoughtful, and concise.

Tone: Constructive criticism and analysis of issues that takes into account all relevant viewpoints is welcomed. However, strong political bias, sarcasm, personal attacks, cultural insensitivity, and any form of disparagement is not acceptable.

Accessibility: Submissions should be written for a general audience to understand, not just for specialists.

Length: Submissions must be between 800 to 1,200 words, excluding citations and references.

Style: Spelling should follow the 11th edition of the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Style should follow the 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style with two exceptions. The first exception is that languages other than English, especially Indigenous languages, do not need to be italicized. The second exception is that digital journalism and commentary submissions may instead follow the 56th edition of The Associated Press Stylebook.

Citations: Include citations where necessary. Citations should follow the 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style unless there is a rational reason to use a different format, such as The Bluebook for legal writing or The Associated Press Stylebook for digital journalism and commentary pieces. Citation formatting should be consistent throughout the document.

AI Transparency: There is a growing consensus among scholarly organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics, that artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT or large language models do not fulfill the necessary criteria for authorship, as they lack the capacity to assume ethical and legal responsibility for the content they produce. Thus, as a matter of policy, submissions generated by AI or machine learning tools are not accepted for publication.

Submission: Submit work online via Submittable. Contributors can expect an email notification regarding acceptance or rejection within approximately four to six weeks following the applicable submission deadline. Submissions received after a submission deadline will be considered for the next submission deadline.

• Issue 1: Submissions received by the end of December are considered for publication in February.
• Issue 2: Submissions received by the end of March are considered for publication in May.
• Issue 3: Submissions received by the end of June are considered for publication in August.
• Issue 4: Submissions received by the end of September are considered for publication in November.

Editorial Rights: The Pacific Islands Development Program decides what gets published, and we might edit for length and clarity. No submissions are compensated.

Reprints: We accept previously published pieces. Contributors are responsible for providing verification of the required permissions.

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The East-West Center prohibits discrimination of any kind, including sex-based discrimination and harassment, in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. The notice of nondiscrimination is located at About Title IX. For a list of all EWC participant policies, please see https://ewcparticipantinfo.org/participant-policies/

This program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the East-West Center. The East-West Center prohibits discrimination of any kind, including sex-based discrimination and harassment, in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. The notice of nondiscrimination is located at About Title IX. For a list of all EWC participant policies, please see https://ewcparticipantinfo.org/participant-policies/

 
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