Many journalists disagree. Ignatius Haryanto, a younger but still senior journalist who teaches journalism at several national universities, thinks there should be a clear line between being an activist and a reporter. “Both roles will not always be in harmony. There may be potential conflicts of interest from the dual roles that can affect the news,” he said. “You can’t write news that you made yourself.”
Haryanto thinks it’s fine for journalists as state citizens to have their own views, but that doesn’t mean expressing them as part of the news. Journalists already take a position as part of their job by selecting what issues to cover and contributing needed information for the public and so there’s no need to go further and assume an activist identity. As for writers like KR’s Andi, Haryanto suggests he choose one role and not the other, without switching back and forth as he sees fit.
The environmental journalism community in Indonesia seems to be divided over whether to have an overlapping role as an activist. But where ever they stand on this point, environmental journalists are still clearly playing a big role in the country’s green movement: some by reporting the news, and others choosing to act further.
Correction: The text of this article was changed to reflect the fact that Emil Salim did not initiate the formation of Hukli, as originally stated, but rather solicited the group’s cooperation to foster environmental awareness in Indonesia.
i enjoyed reading the article discussing journalism and environment. i do have some factual corrections. salim the minister of enviroment was indeed very open minded to engage with journalists already involved in espousing environmental
issues. however he was not the initiator of hukli (association of enviromental conservation of indonesia). he solicited cooperation with this group, and encouraged the formation of wider based network, known as walhi
#1 Posted by aristides katoppo, CJR on Fri 12 Aug 2011 at 01:44 AM
Thanks for your point of view, Mr. Katoppo. :)
#2 Posted by veby mega, CJR on Sat 13 Aug 2011 at 12:49 PM
"This is largely a result of desperation...." IT IS NOT. IT IS the result of an utter disregard for the basis of honest reporting. And Columbia is responsible for not insisting that a reporter has no business politic-ing on any issue they cover. Unconscious leanings sneak into all honest reporting, but conscious omissions have become the norm. COLUMBIA? what a joke.
suibne
#3 Posted by suibne, CJR on Sun 14 Aug 2011 at 10:11 PM
Thanks Veby for this interesting history of environment journalism in Indonesia.
I would like to know more about the threats that journalists there face when they report on the environment -- and whether or not the situation is improving (see They kill environment journalists, don't they?).
Also, does the government of Indonesia provide any direct support to environment journalists such as with funding for training, etc?
#4 Posted by Mike Shanahan, CJR on Mon 15 Aug 2011 at 07:22 AM
@Mr.Katoppo: pelase find your exact quote, as I write from our interview about HUKLI :..."we called it HUKLI (Himpunan Kelestarian Untuk Lingkungan Hidup) because there’s not only writers in it, but also academics, scientist who said, hey we want to join you too, because we are very keen on environment too. So, we called it HUKLI, and this proceeding with the “lingkungan hidup” department also (lingkungan hidup =environment)….
I can see how this sentence mislead me to assume HUKLI is largely born by Environment Department/Emil Salim. For that, I'm sorry for the mistake, and as journalist I'm very great full for your correction. :)
#5 Posted by veby mega, CJR on Mon 15 Aug 2011 at 01:16 PM
@Mike Shanahan: Thanks Mike. For your question about threats on environmental journalists in Indonesia, I have to say, most happen in remote areas where mostly they caught in the middle of "no man's land", where often related to illegal logging mafia (of course, I can't prove this by hard fact to you). I notice this situation from many colleagues I had, who reported in remote areas, who used to receive threats by text message or phone calls. Sometimes, if the threats is to often, their media use to give them "vacation" outside the island (Indonesia is an archipelago),just to keep them alive and let them back after the situation seems to cool off.
So far, I haven't heard any safety training provided by Indonesia Gov for the journalists in remote areas or in Jakarta. Maybe someone knows difference?
#6 Posted by veby mega, CJR on Mon 15 Aug 2011 at 01:40 PM
Thank you, Aristides. We've changed the text and added a correction to reflect the fact that Salim did not initiate Hukli.
#7 Posted by Curtis Brainard, CJR on Mon 15 Aug 2011 at 02:08 PM