A decade on the beat: Reflections on 10 years of Pacific Island Times
Koror—Ten years ago, the Pacific Island Times was little more than an idea—a quiet ambition born from a love of journalism and a belief that our island communities deserved to have their stories told by people who understood them, lived among them and cared about them.
Looking back, it is remarkable to see how that idea has endured and grown. I am deeply grateful to have been part of the journey.
The idea began through conversations among journalists and friends
connected by social media, separated by thousands of miles of ocean but united by our belief in journalism and the importance of telling Pacific stories.
Journalists are often driven by restlessness—the feeling that there are stories
waiting to be told and something meaningful waiting to be built.
I remember those early conversations with my colleague and friend, Bernadette Carreon, as we imagined turning our shared passion for journalism into something bigger.
We dreamed of creating a publication that could connect journalists and readers across the Pacific and give our communities another place to see themselves reflected. Those conversations eventually connected me with like-minded journalists in Guam. About a dozen years ago, I traveled there and over
pizza at Little Caesars at K-Mart, the idea began to take shape. I met with Guam-based journalists, including our current publisher, Mar-Vic Cagurangan and Louella Losinio.
We talked about the publication we wanted to build, discussed the first issue
and imagined what it might become.
In October 2016, the first issue of the Pacific Island Times was published. That moment remains special to me. I still remember going to the post office to pick up the fresh monthly issues. Seeing that first issue felt like holding my baby—it was one of the best feelings in the world.
One year later, I attended the Pacific Island Times' first anniversary celebration in Tumon. I remember saying then, partly as a declaration and partly as a wish,
that we would return to celebrate the 10th anniversary. And here we are.
Ten years of stories, challenges, changes, deadlines, conversations, disagreements, laughter and friendships—and, most importantly, a shared belief that what we were doing mattered.
From the beginning, the Pacific Island Times was intended to be more than a place for breaking news. We wanted it to be a bridge across our region—a way of
connecting communities separated by ocean but bound together by culture, history, family, migration, economic realities and the challenges and opportunities of living in the Blue Pacific.
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Over the years, our pages have chronicled issues affecting Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands. We have covered sovereignty and geopolitics, the Compacts of Free Association, government and policy, economic and infrastructure challenges,
healthcare, education, migration, climate, and the environment. But beyond all those issues are the people.
Ultimately, journalism is about people giving communities a voice, asking
difficult questions and remembering that those we write about are often our
neighbors, relatives and friends.
That balance is not always easy. Journalism requires us to hold power accountable, but it also requires empathy. It asks us to listen carefully, ask difficult questions, and tell the truth as responsibly as we can. If there is one thing I have learned over these 10 years, it is that the Pacific Island Times is defined not only by the stories on its pages but also by the relationships that made those stories possible.
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I am especially grateful to the people who took that first leap with me. To Bernadette, Mar-Vic, Louella and all those early believers who helped turn conversations into a publication.
Thank you for believing that the distance between our islands did not have to keep us apart and that there was room for another Pacific voice.
That spirit of collaboration has sustained the publication through a decade
of change.
Running an independent news organization in a small market has never been easy. Rising costs, technological changes, shifting advertising markets, tight deadlines, lean staffing and moments of uncertainty have all tested us. But through all of it, people kept showing up.
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Ten years also gives us an opportunity to reflect on how much our region has changed—and how much has remained the same. One lesson has become even clearer: local voices matter.
Too often, the Pacific is viewed from the outside through narrow lenses of geopolitics, climate change, or strategic competition. Those issues matter, but they do not tell the whole story of who we are. Our communities are not simply locations on a map or pieces on a geopolitical chessboard.
We are people with histories, cultures, families, ambitions and our own ideas
about the future.
Local journalism gives us the opportunity to tell those stories ourselves.
The past decade has also taught us the importance of adaptability. We began as a print publication and watched the media landscape transform around us.
Digital platforms changed how people consume news. Social media changed how stories travel. Technology changed how journalists work.
But the fundamental mission has remained the same: to provide accurate,
meaningful and relevant journalism to the communities we serve.
Perhaps most importantly, we have learned that different perspectives can strengthen a community. Through columns, commentaries and the many voices that have appeared in our pages, we have seen the value of
conversation and constructive disagreement. A healthy community does not require everyone to think alike. It requires a space where people can listen, question, debate and learn from one another.
I am grateful for the journalists who gave their time and talent to it, the people who worked behind the scenes, the advertisers and supporters who understood the importance of independent media, and, above all, our readers who stayed with us.
Ten years later, the Pacific Island Times is still here. Still reporting. Still connecting our islands. Still giving space to Pacific voices. And still going strong.
Here is to the first 10 years—and to the stories, conversations, friendships, and possibilities that await in the next decade. I am honored, grateful and incredibly proud to have been part of the journey.
Kambes Kesolei is a veteran journalist based in Palau. He is the editor of Tia Belau Digital Media and founder/president of the Compass Point Institute. He hosts the radio show "The Ongerung Show," which airs every Thursday night at 8 p.m. on Palau Wave Radio.
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