New Monash report to help strengthen climate reporting in Indonesian newsrooms
Monash University
Key points:
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Research reveals a strong appetite among Indonesian journalists to deepen coverage of climate change and the energy transition.
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Major barriers include limited scientific knowledge, restricted access to experts, newsroom commercial constraints, and tight resources.
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A new report by the Monash Climate Communication Hub and the Australia-Indonesia Centre outlines clear pathways to bridge the gap between science and regional newsrooms.
Indonesian journalists have a strong appetite to strengthen their coverage of climate change and the energy transition, but face significant barriers including limited scientific knowledge, restricted access to experts and tight newsroom resources.
The finding comes from a comprehensive report released by the Monash Climate Communication Hub (MCCH) and the Australia-Indonesia Centre (AIC), in partnership with Universitas Hasanuddin.
Using Makassar, South Sulawesi, as a regional case study, the project investigated newsroom dynamics, journalist knowledge, and media coverage of climate and energy issues across Eastern Indonesia.
The research combined media analysis, focus groups, surveys, community fieldwork, and knowledge-sharing workshops involving Indonesian and Australian journalists, scientists and communication experts.
While local media coverage has historically been reactive and focused on short-term disaster response rather than the drivers of long-term climate change, the project identified clear opportunities to empower regional reporters.
Professor Libby Lester, Director of the Monash Climate Communication Hub, said supporting journalists is essential to helping communities make informed decisions about their futures.
“Journalists play a vital role in translating complex scientific realities into meaningful, actionable stories for local audiences,” Professor Lester said.
“Building long-term newsroom capacity and stronger connections with researchers empowers reporters to move beyond reactive reporting and lead constructive public conversations about climate solutions.”
Eastern Indonesia is on the frontlines of climate change, facing rising sea levels, shifting agricultural cycles and increasingly intense extreme weather. The research identified that when journalists receive practical climate and energy training and direct connections to scientific experts, their confidence grows and they report on these vital issues more frequently and effectively.
An Indonesian editor who participated in the initiative noted that he now strives to provide more context to stories filed by his team.
"This context can be enriched by incorporating expert explanations or research regarding current events", said Mr Alfian from Tribun Timur, a major Indonesian regional news group.
"The resulting coverage does more than simply report the incident; it delves deeper into the underlying causes and outlines necessary future actions. All of this stems from the lessons I have learned through the project."
“Having access to clear scientific data and hearing directly from impacted coastal communities opened up entirely new angles for our newsroom,” the participant said.
“We no longer just cover the aftermath of a storm, we now have the tools and confidence to explain the underlying climate drivers and explore potential solutions for our readers.”
Australia-Indonesia Centre Executive Director, Boyd Whalan, said the collaborative effort resulted in a strong binational project on a shared regional challenge.
“This report has shown a knowledge gap that we suspected from the on-the-ground experience of our researchers working on climate change issues. This project shows how we can reduce that gap,” Mr Whalan said.
“Strengthening local journalism directly supports community resilience across Eastern Indonesia.”
A select group also traveled to Melbourne for intensive training with Monash University climate science and social science experts. During their visit they met with professors co-leading AIC research projects in Sulawesi and explored opportunities for collaborative reporting with Australian journalists.
The project was funded by the Australia-Indonesia Institute under the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Read the full report: https://shorturl.at/Ld40d
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