Journalists Face Violence During Government Transition, Influencers Are Key Actors

A survey by TIFA Foundation and Populix reveals that 18% of journalist respondents reported experiencing violence during the governmental transition period.

Based on the perpetrators, "buzzers" or campaign teams of presidential candidates were the most frequent perpetrators of violence against journalists, affecting 38% of respondents. These respondents were journalists in Kalimantan, Bali-Nusa Tenggara, and Sulawesi.

TIFA Foundation's report defines "buzzers" as individuals or groups tasked with disseminating specific messages on social media, both organically and paid. They may work to promote candidates, attack opponents, or shape public opinion.

Other perpetrators included individuals or groups with personal motives (32%), police (13%), political parties (11%), government officials (10%), state institutions (7%), and media companies (6%). 22% of respondents declined to identify their attackers.

The survey also found that the most common type of violence experienced by journalists during the governmental transition was the prohibition of coverage (44%). TIFA Foundation notes that this not only restricts journalists' access to information but also hinders the public's right to accurate and transparent news.

Other forms of violence included news censorship (26%), terror and intimidation (24%), deletion of coverage (24%), and threats (23%).

The TIFA Foundation and Populix survey involved 760 active journalist respondents, with 71% male and 29% female. By job role, the majority were field journalists (68%), followed by editors/sub-editors (17%), chief editors (10%), and managing editors (6%).

Respondents were distributed across Java (48%), Sumatra (19%), Kalimantan (9%), Bali-Nusa Tenggara (6%), Papua (5%), and Maluku-Maluku Utara (5%).

The research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. Besides the survey, the research team used secondary data on violence against journalists compiled by the Indonesian Journalists Alliance (AJI) over the past five years. Quantitative data was gathered through in-depth interviews with media stakeholders.