Knight Fellow Wins Award for Pioneering News Network in Indonesia

By: Sonja Matanovic | 03/29/2013

Knight Fellow Harry Surjadi created RuaiSMS, a citizen journalist-based communication network that ensures rural areas of Indonesia are covered by mainstream media.

Knight Fellow Harry Surjadi created RuaiSMS, a citizen journalist-based communication network that ensures rural areas of Indonesia are covered by mainstream media.

For his work as a Knight International Journalism Fellow, Harry Surjadi has won the 2013 Communications for Social Change Award. He developed a groundbreaking news channel in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, using mobile and FrontlineSMS texting. He also trained hundreds of indigenous citizens to be reporters for this new platform.

The award is given by Australia's Centre for Communication and Social Change at the University of Queensland School of Journalism and Communication to recognize professionals and organizations that use communications to advance social, economic and technological development.

Read more here.

Latest News

ICFJ Voices: ICFJ "Broadens the Lens of Journalists," Says LaMont Jones

LaMont Jones is the managing editor for education at U.S. News and World Report. Through an ICFJ study tour, he deepened his knowledge of the Middle East, connected with colleagues and published articles. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Jones is based in Washington, DC.

Independent Journalists Share Their Best Practices for Cultivating Audiences

At the 2025 International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy, winners of ICFJ’s inaugural News Creator Award discussed how they successfully navigate the terrain. They shared concrete strategies focused on content, community, storytelling and sustainability, offering valuable insights for peers seeking to connect meaningfully with audiences and solidify their place in the evolving media ecosystem.

NBC News’ Lester Holt to Receive Top Journalism Award

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has named NBC News anchor Lester Holt the 2025 winner of the ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism. This honor recognizes Holt's exceptional record serving the public with consequential, reliable news coverage for more than four decades.