National Level Workshop on FORB with Media Editors

Search for Common Ground kicked off the CREDIBLE project with a National Level Workshop with Media Editors, which was held on April 13, 2023. The event was implemented with the support of local partner The Journalists Association for Diversity (Serikat Jurnalis untuk Keberagaman or SEJUK), with the theme of “Diversity Journalism with a Perspective on Freedom of Religion or Belief Ahead of the 2024 General Election”. This discussion, which invited editors from leading media houses in Indonesia, succeeded in capturing current policies and practices of media in reporting FORB issues, the challenges that journalists and media editors encounter in reporting FORB issues, and suggestions for empowering media to contribute to building community awareness on FORB.

The discussion was attended by 14 individuals comprising 7 men and 7 women, who represented 13 leading media houses in Indonesia and the Indonesia National Press Council (Dewan Pers Nasional). In the workshop, it was revealed that some media entities such as Kompas, Tempo, KBR, and Liputan6.com, and other journalists especially those with an affiliation with the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) remain committed in promoting religious freedom in Indonesia. However, some other media and journalists seem not interested in covering the FORB issues in their reporting. Several challenges of reporting FORB issues in Indonesia were identified such as the religious freedom being perceived as a topic that can not necessarily increase their SEO (Search Engine Optimization), the fear of losing access to key news sources, lack of diverse perspectives among editorial staff, and the safety of journalists.

Considering the challenges above, the media editors are aware of the need to seek collaboration with non-state actors. During the discussion, they explored potential opportunities for collaboration between media and professional journalism organizations, associations of media companies, and umbrella organizations (Press Council), digital KOLs, civil society organizations (CSOs), and minority groups. For instance, collaboration with digital KOLs could potentially boost the reach of their news content, particularly related to FORB. Furthermore, by reaching out to CSOs who assist with the protection of journalists, such as the Press Legal Aid Agency (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum or LBH Pers), Committee for the Safety of Journalists (Komite Keselamatan Jurnalis or KKJ), and the like, media houses could better protect journalists who cover FORB issues.

Digital media has been seen as an opportunity for media houses to reach a wider audience. Many media houses have started to establish their own social media division for online distribution of their news content. However, media editors have found that content creators often use news articles as their source of information without giving proper credit. There is a need to set clear ground rules that would allow better collaboration with content creators to promote FORB issues. SFCG-I seeks to highlight this issue and open opportunities for conversations in future activities that will involve media editors and youth influencers. This discussion could potentially be included in future collaborations between SFCG-I and SEJUK as a follow up of the national media editor’s workshop, as well as during the Youth Content Hub meetings.

This report is part of the Asia Religious & Ethnic Freedom project.