This slide presentation was presented at the 4M Conference Jakarta 2014

1. Mobile Citizen Journalism:
Empowering Communities
Harry Surjadi
hsurjadi@yahoo.com
Twitter: @hsurjadi
0811150232

2. Mainstream Media (Indonesia)
• Mainstream media only serve 20-30% population
with big buying power
• The rest – marginalized and dissociated with
mainstream media
• Forget their roles: to give voice to the voiceless,
fourth pillar of democracy, only reporting the truth,
watch dog, etc.
• Mainstream media owned by big corporates, the
bosses are politicians
• Citizen journalism is maintained by citizens who are
often marginalized and dissociated with mainstream
news media (Encyclopedia of American journalism)

3. Mobile Phones
• Mobile phone population (300 m) > population
(250 m)
• More than eight in 10 Indonesians (81.0%) now
say they have a mobile phone in their
household, up from two-thirds (67%) in 2011
(Broadcasting Board of Governor, 2012)
• Mobile phones coverage all over Indonesia
• How to connect the “marginalized and
dissociated” again to mainstream media
• Ideal for “marginalized and dissociated” as
communication tool

4. Democratic Citizenship (Banda, 2010)
• Advancing aspects of democratic citizenship:
1. Ownership of communication channel
2. Civic participation
3. Access and accessibility
4. Deliberation or thoughtful debate among
citizens
5. Decision-making or action by citizens
6. Power to hold public officials to transparency
and accountability
7. Interactivity

5. 200 in West
Kalimantan, 250 in
Central Kalimantan,
50 in Riau
Adrianus (right) and Tibi (left) were learning to write SMS news and sent to
RuaiSMS. Adrianus was the most active citizen journalist

6. Connect to
RuaiTV,
Tempo.co, and
Tribun Network

7. System managed by RuaiTV: RuaiSMS -
+6282254475517 – blasted to 600 subscribers
Citizen journalists were showed how their SMS news processed in the system of
RuaiSMS that using FrontlineSMS program

9. The impacts
• Adrianus: “Before we were using mandau to
protest the oil palm company, now we are using
cell phones” – oil palm plantation conflict
• PT BPK met 3 demands of IP community (Adrianus’
community) after been fined according to
customary law: repair the road, accept community
members as its workers, release the land (plasma)
• Local government built a new school building
• Reported and stop the oil palm company doing
illegal logging
• Other: another 2 conflicts between communities
and oil palm companies resolved

10. The first SMS news was from Adrianus in 17 October 2011. It’s about: 100 indigenous people
community members occupied the oil palm plantation’s nursery area. The IP demanded the company
released their “plasma” land which according to the regulation should be given to people near the
plantation

11. This was the RuaiSMS edited version of Adrianus’ SMS news. Adrianus told me “before
we were using mandau to protest the oil palm company, now we are using cell
phones.”

12. This was the following SMS news on the same day in 17 October 2011 that informed
no one from the oil palm plantation company, PT BPK, met the IPs and the IPs
continued occupied the land

13. The same SMS news, edited version. There were several running SMS
news on the same day, 17 Oct 2011

14. This was SMS news from Adrianus, dated 1 Nov 2011: “After fined according to customary law, PT BPK had
a meeting with the indigenous people of Ampaning on 31 Oct 2011 to discuss the memorandum of
understanding at PT BPK office.”

15. This was a following SMS news on 1 Nov 2011 from Adrianus about 9 IPs, 5 PT BPK’s staffs, 7
local police officers, and 3 police brigades that paid by PT BPK, joined the meeting

16. This was edited version SMS news about the meeting, 1 November 2011. After several other meetings, PT
BPK agreed to meet three demands from IP community. 1) Releasing the plasma land very soon; 2)
Repairing road to the village; 3) accepting IP community members as workers in PT BPK

17. This was the road to Adrianus’ village, Ampaning that passing the plantation area. The road became
muddy after the rain and no one could pass. The IP community demanded PT BPK to repair or harder the
road. After the meeting, the company did not meet the demand as promised

19. On 3 Dec 2011, after three days of rain, the road flooded. Adrianus sent SMS news about the
road condition and no help from government or PT BPK (see the next slide)

21. After several SMS news and negotiations, finally PAT BPK repaired the
road. This picture was taken in 2012

22. The first demand was also met by PT BPK. This SMS new was 10 December 2011 that informed on 8 Dec
2011, PT BPK has started preparing plasma land for indigenous people and the head of district released
the permit to open the land

23. Simon, CJ from Nanga Nuar village, sent SMS news about 136 elementary students have to
learn in three classes in one building. The SMS news was sent on 10 February 2012

24. The SMS news was received by the head of education of local government. After five months, the school
got new building. On the back ground was the old school building. On the left hand side was the new
school building built by the local government.

25. The school principal was in front of the new school building
which not finish yet

26. Another oil palm plantation conflicted with local people. This SMS news sent on 14 Nov 2011 was about an oil palm
plantation company, PT RAP, cut the forest illegally. The CJ has asked a confirmation from the head of plantation division
of Kapuas Hulu District, named Husni

27. The village head and his staffs were going to file report to police head quarter in the province that PT RAP
has illegally cut the forest in Nanga Nuar village. The SMS news was sent on 30 Nov 2011. After the report,
the police stopped the activities

28. Information Broker Concept
• Out of journalism box
• Information broker = citizen journalist with
special role to broker information that
important for community members and for
general public to mainstream medai
• Information brokers can be upgraded with
more skills such as using GPS tracker, video
reporting using smart phone or digital
camera.

29. Information Broker components
1. Information brokers are trusted
community members
2. Two days training workshop
3. Communication channel using
SMS and connect to mainstream
media
4. Information – for community
members and outside

30. New CJ Program to Monitor Forest
• National media partner: Tempo
• Local media partner: Persda of Kompas Gramedia
Group
• Supporters: BP REDD+ and WWF
• To monitor forest fire and REDD+ projects, and
forest in general
• Riau, South Sumatera, West Kalimantan and
Jambi provinces
• Manual book

31. Harry Surjadi
Email: hsurjadi@yahoo.com
Twitter: @hsurjadi
Ponsel: 0811150232