Multimedia is the new concept of journalism in the digital age. In the past, a journalist only familiar with single type of media. Right now, a journalist should be a multimedia journalist. It is a challenge and very interesting. Every day, there are a new thing that has to learn. All the element of the multimedia giving the opportunity to be more creative.
My newspaper started to make a website years ago. But the management just arrange training for multimedia journalist. Even a journalist is need another training to make them comfort using the tools. It is not easy to convince management, that the training is needed.
I like social media especially twitter. It is simple but full of information. We can choose what information that we want the detail. Since social media become very popular in Indonesia, I like to use it not just to hangout with people in the internet but giving the information. Twitter to spread the interesting article to the whole world.
About the dead bodies, I think we should really think about it before choosing whether to publish or not. Sometime the picture or video about the dead bodies is necessary to provoke sympathy. Dramatics and tragic article more convincing with photos or videos.
But to put the photos or video, better to see how the picture it self. We can choose the better dead bodies. Some picture in the Al Jazeera, the dead bodies is clean, not to bloody but we can see the sorrow of the people.
Print and online, I think is the same. Yes, some time the policy in the online weaken than in print. But, actually in the online, the photos can easier spread. So, I think both online and print, we do have very carefully.
(Foreign tourist making a tradisional jewellery in Erau Festival. Tribun Kaltim/Reonaldus)
ERAU 2010 is the reportage that I would like to do next month. This is a big cultural festival in East Kalimantan. Erau held in Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan province.
Some interesting folk culture will be held, like dancing, games, and sport. This cultural festival will feature a variety of folk culture in East Kalimantan, such as th Dayak tribe and Kutai that influence by Malay cultural.
Multimedia content that I would include is video of the interesting ceremony, dancing, sport, and games. Some practical guidance like map and tips.
I think this article will not raise any ethical or racism concerns. This article will show how the harmony between the tribes that lives in East Kalimantan.
NIGHT just begin. GirirejoVillage as dark as usually. Village in the outer area of Balikpapan is located in kilometer 15 in the Soekarno-Hatta street that connected Balikpapan and Samarinda, the capital of East Kalimantan. From the gateway of Girirejo it is very dark. But the dark night is very bright in Friday (26/3/2010).
Every house in Girirejo Village RT 27 turn on the lights. The street lamp is also turn on. The light is shine white and clear bearing down the moonlight. Starting last Friday night, the Kampung Semarang—people called RT 27 is Kampung Semarang because it is dominated by the migrant coming from Semarang, Central Java—become bright.
The people use the fluorescent lamp for the house and the streetlamp. Now, RT 27 Girirejo Village become one of the Kampung Terang Hemat Energi (KTHE), the corporate social responsibility from one of the lights company in Indonesia. PT Philips Indonesia starting KTHE from 2009 and it is continued in 2010.
Supriyanto, Regional Sales Manager Kalimantan, PT Philips Indonesia said in Kalimantan KTHE carried out in five village in different area, Balikpapan, Samarinda, Berau, Banjarmasin, and Pontianak. “With this program we try to educate the people to save energy. Kampung terang is educated them to save the energy. It is bright, but it save the energy,” he said.
But Supriyanto said that Philips do not provide the light for free except for the streetlamp. “We want the people to parcipated in this program so they should buy the light for their own house. But we give the cheapest price. We not try to cheat the people. Because the money that gain from the lamp is not for us. Philips gives back the money for the people. The money can help the people to build another public facility, said Supriyanto.
The people enjoying the lights. Not only from the RT 27 but the people from other RT is coming to see the dancer and singer. It is like night market in the village. “We usually use the incandescent lamp. Because it has the lower watt,” said Slamet Beni, Chief of RT 27, Desa Girirejo.
Now, with the fluorescent light Kampung Semarang is brighter. But still has the lower watt so save the energy. Nights darker, but the people looks so happy having the party. They sing, dance, and doing some games that makes people laughing.
Kampung Semarang consist of 68 head of family. Slamet hopes that he and the people can maintenance this facility. So the kampung will keep bright and of course save the energy.(*)
Off course there are limitation in the newswebsite. For the Danish newspaper cartoons, definetely, I am not gonna link to that. Because it is humiliated the Muslim. And of course the video of beheading, because it is showing a brutality. The limit is always about politeness and ethics.
No one in this world that likes to be hurt, insulted, or humiliated. There for we di have to be very carefully publish the stories. Racism is not welcome too in the news website.
Sometime, dealing with such content is confusing. But we can choose the opposite content that still connecting to the stories. For beheading, we can put the photos of the sadness the family of the beheaded, progress report of the process, or other activity that connected.
It is the same with Danish newspaper cartoon. I dont know why the editor publish the cartoon. I think it is violates journalism ethics. When publish the story about the Danish newspaper cartoon, I will put the picture of the people protest or picture of the newspaper it self (the front page).
It is about how we choose to serve the content without loosing the newsworthy. We can publish the interesting stories without any harm to the ethics. Publish the news politely and elegance. It will make people respect to the news website too.
Should news on the Web be less formal in tone than news on air or in newspapers? Why or why not? I think formalitystill needed in the news website because we make newswebsite not for fun but to give the right information. Information based on data and fact. Not a gossip or fairytale.
But, to make people tires read the website (because read on the screen is 25% slower) we can make the newswebsite more easy reading to the people. Like using the bullets, graphics, picture then tell the whole stories in word.
Formality is about how to make the newswebsites is trusted and choose as the credible site. For the features stories, we can choose more friendly words. I think the concept is the same in the print and air.
Finally, Founder of Aceh Free Movement Dies in His Homeland
THURSDAY (6/3/2010) Aceh mourning the death of Teuku Hasan Muhammad di Tiro. Hasan di Tiro, former leader of the now-dissolved Aceh Free Movement (GAM) died at ZainalAbidinHospital in Banda Aceh. Hasan di Tiro died because infection of the heart and lungs.
Hari Teguh Patria/Serambi Indonesia
Irwandi Yusuf, Aceh Governor instructed to all the people of Aceh to raise the flag at half mast for three days. He also told to the people to prayed as a sign of mourning over the death of Hasan di Tiro.
Hasan di Tiro is one of the sad story in the history of Indonesian. He is a great-grandson of an Indonesian national hero, Teuku Cik Di Tiro. In 1976, he found GAM. The government sent troops to Aceh to dissolve GAM. Then GAM became one separatis groups in Indonesia. He lost his citizenship since that.
Then he fled to the United States before finally residing in Sweden after being granted Swedish citizenship. In 2008, Hasan di Tiro come home after Helsinki Agreement between Indonesian government and GAM. The people of Aceh honour him not for his fight for Aceh but also in his blue blood flowing Aceh fighters.
Helsinki Agreement became the new chapter of development in Aceh. Irwandi Yusuf, former member of GAM became the Aceh governor after the election. He was choosen by the the people. In the past, none of the former GAM member should not occupy this position.
Hari Teguh Patria/Serambi Indonesia
After a week in the hospital, Hasan di Tiro breathed his last in Aceh. He was born in Aceh, fight for Aceh, and finally died in Aceh, his homeland. And the most important thing is he died as Indonesian. One day after he got his citizenship.
On Wednesday (6/2/2010), Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto presented the citizenship certificate after paying Hasan a visit at the hospital.
Hasan di Tiro buried in family cemetery complex in Meureu village, Indrapuri, Aceh Besar. Present at the funeral procession, Irwandi Yusuf, Chairman of the House of Aceh, Hasbi Abdullah, former GAM leaders, Malek Mahmud, Zaini Abdullah, and hundreds of local people. Tomb of Hasan di Tiro side by side with his great grandfather's grave, Cik Di Tiro.
I am a journalist in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. I am working in Tribun Kaltim, local newspaper in East Kalimantan belongs to Kompas Gramedia Group.
