Pravin Akhil Narain
The Fiji National University is where Pravin Akhil Narain journey began.
More than a decade after first walking into FNU as a Media and Journalism student in 2012, Narain has returned to the University in a different capacity – as a Master’s by Research student, exploring the evolving relationship between journalism, citizen journalism, misinformation, public trust and digital media.
In between, his career has taken him through newsrooms, international sporting events, public relations, marketing and communications.
Yet, through every chapter, one thing has remained constant, his connection to people and their stories.
Where the journey began
Narain remembers his student years as a time when he was learning not only how to become a journalist, but how to understand people.
The journalism programme gave him a foundation in storytelling, interviewing, listening and the responsibilities that come with reporting information to the public.
One lecturer who made a lasting impression was Mr Elia Vesikula, then Head of Journalism.
During Narain’s admission interview, Mr Vesikula challenged him with a simple but demanding question:
“You have 10 minutes to tell me why you want to become a journalist.”
That approach would become characteristic of Narain’s experience as a student.
Mr Vesikula was strict, maintained high standards and challenged students to push themselves.
Looking back, Narain believes some of the most influential mentors are those who refuse to lower their standards because they believe in what their students are capable of achieving.
From the classroom to the newsroom
Pravin Akhil Narain during his journalism days.
As a student, Narain was already thinking about where journalism could take him.
During one classroom exercise, students were asked where they wanted to be in five years.
Narain said he wanted to work in The Fiji Times newsroom.
His lecturer’s response stayed with him:
“Aim for it, pray for it and work for it.”
Three years later, Narain joined The Fiji Times newsroom.
A career that kept evolving
Journalism, however, was only one chapter.
Narain eventually moved into public relations, marketing and communications, bringing with him the skills he had developed as a journalist.
He says each area of study and each professional experience added another layer to his understanding of communication.
Journalism taught him how to find and tell stories.
Marketing taught him about audiences.
Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations helped him understand organisational dynamics.
Social Policy broadened his understanding of communities and the wider issues affecting institutions and society.
Together, these experiences reinforced one lesson: communication begins with understanding people.
“You cannot communicate effectively with people if you do not first understand them,” he says.
Today, Narain provides Marketing and Communications consultancy services to Outsource Fiji, supporting the promotion of Fiji’s outsourcing industry, engaging stakeholders and helping position Fiji within regional and international markets.
At the same time, he has returned to FNU to pursue his Master’s by Research.
Asking who people trust
His research comes at a time when the media landscape is changing rapidly.
The traditional newsroom, where information passed through layers of reporting, editing and verification, now exists alongside social media platforms where information can be published instantly.
For Narain, these developments are connected by one central question: Who do people trust?
That question is now at the heart of his research and reflects the evolution of his own career – from reporting stories to studying how people receive, interpret and trust them.
Returning to where it began
His return to FNU has also given Narain an opportunity to reflect on how much the University has changed alongside him.
He remembers the journalism facilities at the former Raiwai Campus, including the newsroom, radio station and film and television facilities.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016 badly affected those facilities, and the journalism programme was later moved to Nasinu, where students continued their work from a much smaller newsroom space.
Despite the challenges, students continued their studies and graduated.
Today, Narain sees the renewed partnership between FNU and the Fijian Media Association, including plans for a Pacific Centre for Media and Journalism, as an important opportunity for a new generation.
For him, it carries a sense of personal significance.
His generation experienced the loss of a journalism facility and continued their training under difficult circumstances. The prospect of a new home for journalism, supported by industry partnerships, modern technology and practical training, represents a new chapter.
He hopes the Centre will help prepare journalists who understand their communities and can tell Pacific stories with accuracy, context and responsibility.
The value of becoming
Pravin Akhil Narain during his graduation.
If Narain could return to his student years, there is one thing he would tell his younger self: worry less.
He would spend more time with lecturers and students from different fields. He would keep more photographs and hold on to more of the assignments that documented his journey.
His advice to today’s students is similarly reflective.
“You do not need to have everything figured out.
Keep learning. Stay curious. Remain humble.
And do not measure your journey only by where you eventually arrive.”
For Narain, being an FNU alumnus is not simply about holding a qualification.
He came to FNU as a student, returned as a professional and has now returned as a researcher.
“FNU has seen me grow,” he says.
And perhaps that is what makes his journey distinctive.
The student who once dreamed of entering The Fiji Times newsroom has gone on to experience journalism, international reporting, communications, marketing and research, only to find himself back where it all began.
His story is still being written.
And the lesson he carries forward is simple:
“Do not become so focused on where you want to end up that you forget to value who you are becoming along the way.”