Pulitzer Center Update October 1, 2024
University Students Explore the Reality of Environmental Degradation in Indonesia
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Small-scale fishermen in the remote corners of Indonesia face various challenges, including Umar, who lives in Apara Village and relies on the sea for his livelihood. Recently, he has had to travel 8 kilometers to catch fish, whereas previously, he only needed to travel 1 kilometer.
Apara Village is on the border between Indonesia and Australia. Diesel fuel in his area is expensive, costing around IDR 25,000 per liter, which is twice the price on the island of Java. Amid this difficult situation, Umar’s catch has dwindled due to competition with large vessels from China and Russia. Umar admits that he frequently sees foreign and ex-foreign ships passing through the Arafura Sea. These ships are suspected of being illegal and entering the coastal waters near Apara Village. Umar finds it increasingly difficult to catch fish.
Umar’s story was shared by Abdus Somad, a Fellow in the Pulitzer Center's Ocean Reporting Network, who brought this rarely exposed reality to the attention of students and faculty at IPB University. The Green Voice Matters workshop was held through a collaboration between the Pulitzer Center and IPB University, focusing on uncovering the true stories of Indonesia's oceans and forests, which are currently facing degradation due to climate change and other anthropogenic issues.
Eighty students from IPB University, who are aspiring scientists of Indonesia, participated in the environmental journalism workshop Green Voice Matters (GVM). It was officially opened on August 22, 2024, by Intan Febriani, director of International Education and Outreach at the Pulitzer Center, alongside Professor Anuraga Jayanegra, director of Strategic Studies and Academic Reputation at IPB University. This collaboration continues the Pulitzer Center’s involvement at IPB, which began in 2023.
Pulitzer Center Journalists Speak on Ocean Issues, Palm Oil, and Extractive Industries
The event began with in-depth presentations by Pulitzer Center journalists paired with IPB University faculty members to provide students with diverse and fresh insights on particular issues organized into three deep dive sessions.
The first session, led by Jaring.id journalist Abdus Somad, covered Indonesia’s maritime issues in the Arafura and Natuna seas, focusing on the plight of micro-fishing communities, illegal wildlife trade, illegal fishing, and related issues. Somad is a Fellow in the Pulitzer Center's Ocean Reporting Network. This presentation was followed by Akhmad Solihin, who explained the complexities of maritime governance from both international and national legal perspectives, highlighting the ongoing challenges in effectively managing maritime problems.
The second session focused on forestry issues, beginning with a report by Tempo journalist Riani Putri, who discussed forest degradation due to palm oil industry expansion into forested areas. She also pointed out efforts to categorize palm oil as a forest crop, which could lead to the "whitewashing" of ecological damage, threatening the future of Indonesia’s tropical forests.
Putri is a Fellow of Rainforest Reporting, a journalism grant program by the Pulitzer Center. Her presentation was complemented by Bayu Eka Yulian, who emphasized the destruction caused by unsustainable palm oil practices and the challenges of law enforcement in the forestry sector. He stressed the importance of mapping the actors involved, as well as the role of academia as a battleground for contesting paradigms. Discussions like this are crucial to providing students with fresh and critical perspectives.
In the final deep dive session, Tempo Deputy Editor-in-Chief Bagja Hidayat discussed the reality of Indonesia's nickel industry, which is not only environmentally destructive but also poses a threat to Indonesia's democracy. He emphasized that the media has a responsibility to uphold accurate information and act as the fourth pillar of democracy in Indonesia.
Professor Bambang Hero explained his witnesses in numerous environmental cases, particularly in the extractive mining industries, echoed these sentiments. Hero is also a frequent resource for investigative reporting on the losses caused by unsustainable extractive industries in Indonesia, which often involve corruption and other legal violations. He pointed out the many challenges in enforcing environmental laws, even within academia, which is often forced to compromise with business ambitions.
Community Dialogue
The GVM event at IPB University continued with a “community dialogue,” or rembukan warga session, which sparked enthusiastic participation from IPB students. In this interactive discussion, students asked the speakers numerous questions, covering topics such as the contribution of journalism in academia, the role of students in protecting Indonesia's environment, the journalistic skills necessary for future careers, maintaining objectivity and independence in writing opinions, and tips on staying safe while conducting risky research or reporting.
The session opened with an interlude—a student volunteer reciting the poem taken from Silent Spring—which added a reflective tone to the GVM Bogor activities. Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, is an important book for the discussion of sustainable development.
“The session inspired us to take action, particularly regarding the stories of deforestation. How could students monitor such cases from a distance to keep speaking out and making an impact?”
—Fawaz, IPB student
Faculty and researchers encouraged everyone to engage in self-reflection, as the facts and data reveal that deforestation continues to threaten Indonesia’s forests. They stressed that good environmental governance must be enforced, as it will provide long-term welfare benefits.
Op-Ed Skill Sharing by Bagja Hidayat
In the final activities, the GVM program at IPB University continued with a mini-coaching session on writing for the media, focusing on op-eds. The session began with Akhmad Solihin’s presentation on the techniques and structure of effective writing for mass media from an academic perspective. This was followed by Bagja Hidayat, a journalist who shared his experience in expanding the impact of written works such as opinion pieces, features, and others by understanding the target audience and the key messages to be conveyed.
A well-written piece, according to Hidayat, should cater to both those who are familiar with the topic and those who are not, making a balance in language style and content essential to attract and engage readers.
The workshop aimed to provide insights and practical skills to help IPB University students communicate their scientific findings to the public, while also raising awareness about critical environmental issues in Indonesia.
The Green Voice Matters in Bogor also featured the hi/lang photo exhibition. This exhibition, showcasing 56 photos and visual works by Pulitzer Center grantees, has attracted hundreds of visitors daily.
