Knight International Journalism Fellowships

Indonesia: Expand Environmental Coverage

Knight International worked with newspapers and radio stations to create weekly environmental reports in Indonesia, a country facing deforestation, over-fishing, mining and pollution. Knight Fellow Harry Surjadi partnered with Kompas Gramedia Group to vastly increase coverage of the environment, prompting better government policies.

Knight Fellow Harry Surjadi's workshop participants produced stories on toxic waste and water pollution.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Launched dedicated weekly environmental supplements at two newspapers: the Tribun Pekanbaru and Pos Kupang. SingFM radio created a talk show focused on environmental issues such as availability of and access to potable water.
  • Coached reporters who produced an investigative story about the illegal disposal of hospital waste into the drinking-water supply. The government ordered a clean up and issued new regulations governing disposal of hazardous waste.
  • Trained journalists in Indonesia and journalism students in East Timor to research environmental issues, raising the quality of reporting.

Our Stories

  • Mar 222008

    "Green City:" Indonesian Newspaper Launches Weekly Environmental Report

    by Harry Surjadi

    On March 17, 2008, Tribun Pekanbaru, a local newspaper that is part of the Persda newspaper group in Indonesia, published a photo showing used syringes floating in the drain of Ibu dan Anak (Mother and Child) Zaenab Hospital. A private hospital in Pekanbaru, capital of Riau Province in Sumatra, Ibu dan Anak Zaenab treats mothers and children. Like all but three hospitals in the province, it does not have a waste water treatment facility, nor does it have an incinerator to burn medical and hospital waste.

    Program: 
    Indonesia: Expand Environmental Coverage

Blogs

Multimedia

  • Knight Fellow Harry Surjadi has vastly increased coverage of stories that affect all Indonesians, and has already forced a local government to address a serious pollution issue.

    09/28/2011