Jope Tarai
MA (USP)
PhD Scholar
Jope Tarai is an Indigenous Fijian and Pacific scholar pursuing a Ph.D. in Digital Politics, at the Department of Pacific Affairs, in ANU. He was awarded a gold medal for the most outstanding Master of Arts Thesis titled Collective Diplomacy: A case study of the South Pacific Tuna Treaty, at the University of the South Pacific (USP). Jope has extensive work-related experience in Pacific regionalism and development, having worked at the University of the South Pacific and connected networks with other crop agencies. His research interests and publications include Pacific politics, regionalism, collective diplomacy, digital politics, and Pacific development.
NOTE: other than Amanda H A Watson and Sarah Logan, Jope is also supervised by Larrisa Hjorth from RMIT University.
Research Interest
Publications
Academic publications
- Tarai, J. (2023). Social media and democracy: The Fiji 2022 national election. Pacific Journalism Review, 29(1/2), 96–112.
- Meki, T., & Tarai, J. (2023). How can aid be decolonised and localised in the Pacific? Yielding and wielding power. Development Policy Review.
- Taylor, M., Habru, P., Middleby, S., Naupa, A., & Tarai, J. (2023). Perspectives from Melanesia: Aboriginal relationalism and Australian foreign policy. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 77(6), 649-655.
Political reviews: Fiji
- Tarai, J. (2022). Fiji. The Contemporary Pacific 34(2), 457-466.
- Tarai, J. (2021). Fiji. The Contemporary Pacific 33(2), 532-541.
- Tarai, J. (2020). Fiji - 2018 & 2019. Fiji - The Contemporary Pacific.
Digital politics – social media research
- Ryle, J., & Tarai, J. (2020). Religion and the New Media: Discourses and Debates in the 2018 Fiji General Election Campaign. The Journal of Pacific Studies, 40(2). 2-4.
- Tarai, J. (2019). Social media and Fiji’s 2018 national election. Pacific Journalism Review: Te Koakoa, 25(1&2), 52–64.
- Tarai, J. (2018). Unpacking Fiji internet law narratives: Online safety or online regulation? Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa, 24(2), 84–94.
- Tarai, J. D., Eliki (2018). “Citizen journalism, social media and the media in Fiji.” SGDIA Working Paper Series - USP.
- Tarai, J., et al. (2015). “Political Social Media Campaigning in Fiji’s 2014 Elections.” Journal Of Pacific Studies 35(2): 89 - 114.
Pacific Regionalism
Op-ed pieces
- Tarai, J. (2022). Social media and Fiji’s 2022 National Election. Social Media and Fiji’s 2022 National Election.
- Tarai, J. (2019). Samoa’s leaders grapple with Social Media. Islands Business - March Issue.
- Tarai, J. (2019). Breaching Indigenousness (Indigeneity). Islands Business.
- Tarai, J. (2019) Is Regulation the answer.
- Tarai, J. (2017) God Is Dead.
- Tarai, J. (2015) New Public Diplomacy.
Online short pieces
- Tarai, J (2019). Controlling the Internet in Fiji
- Tarai, J. (2018). 2018 Fiji elections: the real losses and wins. 2018 Fiji Elections: the Real Losses and Wins.
Collaborative publications
- Cox, J., Varea, R., Finau, G., Tarai, J., Kant, R., Titifanue, J., & Neef, A. (2019). Disaster Preparedness and the Abeyance of Agency: Christian Responses to Tropical Cyclone Winston in Fiji. Anthropological Forum, 30(1-2), 125–140.
- Cox, J., Finau, G., Kant, R., Tarai, J., & Titifanue, J. (2018). Disaster, Divine Judgment, and Original Sin: Christian Interpretations of Tropical Cyclone Winston and Climate Change in Fiji. The Contemporary Pacific, 30(2), 380–410.
- Kant, R., Titifanue, J., Tarai, J., & Finau, G. (2018). Internet under threat?: The politics of online censorship in the Pacific Islands. Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa, 24(2), 64–83.
- Finau, G., Cox, J., Tarai, J., Kant, R., Varea, R., & Titifanue, J. (2018). Social media and disaster communication: A case study of Cyclone Winston. Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa, 24(1), 123–137.
- Titifanue, J., Kant, R., Finau, G., & Tarai, J. (2017). Climate change advocacy in the Pacific: The role of information and communication technologies. Pacific Journalism Review, 23(1), 133.
- Finau, G., Kant, R., Logan, S., Prasad, A., Tarai, J., & Cox, J. (2014)._ Social media and e-democracy in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu_. Paper presented at the 20th Americas Conference on Information Systems, AMCIS 2014.
HDR Supervisor/s
Amanda H A Watson Sarah LoganThesis Title/Topic
Digital Politics in Fiji
Expertise Area(s)
Asia Pacific
Regional Analysis and Development
Public diplomacy
Digital Technologies
Development Policy