Common concerns exist across the Pacific region among stakeholders over the quality of media reporting and the absence of common media standards and enforcement mechanisms with regards to journalism ethics and standards. Simultaneously, there is growing pressure on the media with increasingly tighter regulations being implemented to enforce professional media standards in the Pacific Islands.

This study used an analytical framework and evaluative criteria for identifying the specific conditions and factors for establishing media self-regulatory arrangements that meet key stakeholder concerns and needs at both regional and national levels in the Pacific Islands. The study draws on pre-existing schemes to identify a best practice criteria benchmark to determine when media industry solutions are likely to be effective. This benchmark is designed to guide not restrict the analysis, with the results supplemented by additional factors, including consultation with media stakeholders and case studies of media regulatory systems in developing and developed countries.