At a workshop following the launch, Panca Esti, left, from Ruai TV, shows two participants from local non-governmental organizations how to use a small video camera. (Photo by Heriyanto)
Local officials from parliamentary and other government offices learn how citizen journalists can shoot video to include with their reports. (Photo by Heriyanto)
Local journalists interview Knight Fellow Harry Surjadi about citizen journalism at the launch of the text-and-mobile news service. (Photo by Heriyanto)
Citizen journalist Adrianus Adam Tekot says that the new service is already having impact: At least one land dispute has been resolved. (Photo by Heriyanto)
Knight International Journalism Fellow Harry Surjadi introduces the innovative text-and-mobile news service at the Citizen Journalism: Empowering Communities launch. (Photo by Heriyanto)
Arjun Venkatraman was a technical expert who helped Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary develop an advanced version of his CGNet Swara cell phone service in India. Recently, Venkatraman journeyed to Indonesia to work with Knight International Journalism Fellow Harry Surjadi on a similar project there.
The first message came by text on October 17 from a cell phone in rural Indonesia, and it quickly got results – a surprising and encouraging turn of events for the new citizen journalist who sent it.
“One hundred residents of Sei Enau village … are defending their lands,” it read in the native Indonesian language. It was the very first SMS message sent through a new communications system developed by Knight International Journalism Fellow Harry Surjadi, in partnership with Ruai TV and Internews.
After a two-day workshop I held recently on the basics of citizen journalism, one participant summed up the importance of his new task: "The training taught me how to become a critical person,” said 25-year-old Juliatus, a resident of Sei Enau village.
