WHEN the Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, rescued the Rongelap Islanders from their nuclear-waste-polluted atoll in 1985, on board was New Zealand journalist, David Robie. He stayed on board until terrorists working for the French government sank the protestors' ship in July 1985.

His book, Eyes of Fire, which chronicles the unfortunate incident, has been described as "the best and most vivid account of this tragic event".

Wherever he has travelled in the Pacific, Robie's reporting has had an effect. No less a person than Timoci Bavadra, the late Prime Minister of Fiji who was deposed by the Rabuka coups in 1987, lauded Robie as a journalist who was able to report on the South Pacific from the viewpoint of its own people.

This was most ably demonstrated in Robie's 1989 book, Blood on their Banner, which documented the nationalist struggles, the indigenous push for identity, the political machinations and the often devastating results which occurred in many countries in the Pacific in the 1970s and 1980s.

While Robie is still active as a journalist, his main preoccupation in the last decade has been in the education of future generations of journalists in the Pacific.

The journalism program at the University of Papua New Guinea, and the similar program at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, have both advanced greatly thanks in no small part to Robie's tutelage.

Indeed, in December 2000, the journalism program at USP won the premier publication award at Australia's annual Ossie Awards, which are regarded as the student equivalent of the Walkley Awards.

The award, which went to USP ahead of more established programs from across Australia, was primarily due to the students' excellent online coverage of the kidnapping of the Fiji government by George Speight.

Their website, Pacific Journalism Online, ran daily news coverage of the crisis for 10 days, until it was closed down by the university for security reasons. The reports were then carried by the journalism web site at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Through events like these, it is apparent that Robie seems to appreciate that there is a strong contextual element to journalism, and it is the context which determines the extent and nature of the coverage.

That he can pass on these ideals to his students is commendable, especially given that he is working with students from a range of backgrounds and cultures.

Now, with the recent publication of the new book, The Pacific Journalist: A Practical Guide, the good work of Robie and journalists like him will extend beyond the Pacific. The book is edited by Robie, with contributions from 11 Pacific journalists and educators.

It offers a unique insight into the trials and tribulations of working as a journalist in this vast and dynamic region.

It is not an easy task being a journalist in the Pacific. The best example of this is the recent case of Marc Neil-Jones, the publisher of the Vanuatu Trading Post, who had lived in that country for 11 years but was deported with two hours notice. Similarly, the banning of the Agence France-Presse reporter, Michael Field, from reporting the 2000 South Pacific Forum in Kiribati, shows the lengths governments are prepared to go to in order to dictate to the media.

But more than just being an insight into the pressures of Pacific journalism, this book also provides practical advice and discussion on media issues relevant to the region.

In part, this is due to the diversity of the contributors. Robie has assembled a group of writers with experience of all aspects of media in the Pacific. Through their collected writing, advice and thoughts, they all demonstrate a strong commitment to the improvement of the education of journalists in the region.

The chapters cover a range of areas, from news writing styles and news gathering techniques, to media law, ethics and political reporting. There are also individual sections relating specifically to print, broadcast and online journalism.

The book is rounded off by a discussion of issues in the media, particularly as they relate to the Pacific. In particular, the chapter on foreign correspondents by the ABC's man in PNG, Richard Dinnen, illuminates the difficulties of outsiders attempts to reach a deeper understanding of the ways of the Pacific people.

By combining the practical and the more ideological aspects of journalism, The Pacific Journalist takes on a difficult task. The surprise is not that it succeeds, but that it succeeds in terms which are relevant beyond the Pacific.

For too long, the colonisers of the Pacific have suggested that the answer to improving the media in the region lies in the imposition of post-colonial standards and parameters. Books like The Pacific Journalist demonstrate that the experiences of the Pacific are unique, and the future of this region can only be determined from within.