{"id":15715,"date":"2019-03-14T11:32:59","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T00:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aiya.org.au\/?p=15715"},"modified":"2021-07-10T12:12:12","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T02:12:12","slug":"learning-about-social-and-cultural-nuance-as-an-australian-intern-at-radio-republik-indonesia-rri%ef%bb%bf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aiya.org.au\/id\/2019\/03\/14\/learning-about-social-and-cultural-nuance-as-an-australian-intern-at-radio-republik-indonesia-rri%ef%bb%bf\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning about social and cultural nuance as an Australian intern at Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI)\ufeff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


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Interning at Radio\nRepublik Indonesia (RRI) reminded me of family dinners at my Italian-Australian\ngrandparents\u2019 house in the late 90s: Cigarettes and instant coffee in the\nkitchen. Trophies, awards and decorative tissue box in the meeting rooms. And,\neverybody wanted to feed me. It was truly a dream-come-true for a wannabe\nforeign correspondence journalist like myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, RRI is far\nmore than just an example of sensational Indonesian hospitality. They\u2019ve made a\nweighty contribution to Indonesian\u2019s national identity. In many ways, they have\nmirrored the rapid social progression of their environment. However, the\norganisation\u2019s legacy is still a huge part of their identity. It defines the\nspirit with which they approach each passing challenge. The placement taught me\nabout Indonesian history, challenged my beliefs and changed the way I will work\ncross-culturally forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legacy of building a nation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RRI\u2019s legacy has\nbeen shaped and continues to be shaped, by Indonesia\u2019s eventful modern history.\nStained by a struggle for independence from colonialism, a period of\nauthoritarian leadership and rapid reformation in recent years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While in\nIndonesia, I learnt that half a millennia ago there was no such thing as\nIndonesia. Instead, there were 17 thousand islands populated by countless\ncultural and ethnic groups. I didn\u2019t realise how recently Indonesia declared\nitself a sovereign nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unifying such a\ndiverse population was no small task. A perceived sense of national identity,\ndespite cultural differences, was an important political tool to solidify the\ninfant nation\u2019s unity. Nobody recorded the original declaration of\nindependence. But, 25 days later Sukarno re-stated it for RRI listeners. This\nwas their first broadcast and the recording is the main feature in their\nlobby.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days,\nprivately owned media is the norm. However, this was only given the chance to\nflourish free from bureaucratic choke-hold in the late 90s. For the first two\ndecades after independence, the state controlled the radio frequencies across\nthe archipelago. RRI and Television Republik Indonesia (TVRI) were the sole\nbroadcasters. Media was seen by the government as a tool to build a\nnation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fight for press freedom<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kabul Budiono has\nworked for in state-funded broadcasting since the late seventies. he has\nPerformed numerous roles; from an announcer, to director of RRI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked nervously\ninto TVRI\u2019s head office; it was far more modern than RRI\u2019s. Mr Budiono wore\nthick-framed glasses, brightly coloured batik and a jovial grin throughout our\nentire meeting. It was easy to forget I was sitting across from the elected\nmember of TVRI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impartiality has\nalways been central to RRI\u2019s official mandate. When Budiono began working for\nRRI In the late seventies, this was not put into practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One election year,\nthe city was bursting at the seams with people and politics. Budiono was a\nyoung journalist working in Jakarta. He was forbidden from reporting criticisms\nof President Suharto and his political party Golkar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Suharto won\nthe election, Golkar lost sorely in Papua. Budiono wanted to know why. He\ncontacted academics and pieced together a story. That day, the 1pm state-funded\nbroadcaster criticised a president for the first time in its 25-year history.\nThe Ministry of Information was not impressed. But, \u201cI am still here,\u201d he told\nme with a satisfied smirk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps this could\nhave served as a canary in Suharto\u2019s authoritarian gold-mine. After his regime\nfell during the Asian Financial Crisis of the late 90s, RRI made the official\nshift from state to public status. Officially, they now represented the\ncitizens of Indonesia, not merely the President. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Impartial but not at every cost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RRI, as with the\nrest of the nation, has changed a lot since the 1998 reformation. They now\noperate in a starkly different political climate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2002, their\nindependence has been protected by the KPI (Indonesian Broadcasting\nCommission). According to political scientist Douglas Ramage, \u201cIndonesia has\none of the freest media\u2019s in all of South East Asia\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several of my\ncolleagues at RRI told me they are free to say whatever they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have a\nstation dedicated to criticising the government (Pro3) and strive to present\nmultiple sides of every argument. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independence is\nimportant. But, so is their national image. Reporters I spoke to see foreign\nbroadcast as an opportunity to showcase Indonesia as more than just the land of\ntsunamis, earthquakes and the Bali bombings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that,\nnational security also impacts editorial decisions. Budiono said TVRI and RRI\nwill always be on the same side as the Republic of Indonesia in these matters.\n\u201cWe\u2019re not like the BBC in that way,\u201d he said referencing the British\nbroadcasters stance against the Thatcher government during the Iraq war.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked\nBudiono about RRI\u2019s coverage of the pro-independence movement in West Papua he\nsaid, \u201cwe are free to have an open dialogue. But, if there is a weaponised\nmovement trying to become free from Indonesia, we have to think about the sake\nof the nation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My reflections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RRI and TVRI are\nno longer governed by the state. However, they possess an entrenched state\nculture. This seemed fitting considering their crucial role in developing the\nnational psyche.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I\u2019ve been\ntaught to view Journalism as a figure operating primarily to hold those in\npower accountable; like a final puzzle-piece essential to a picture of a\nhealthy democracy. The memory of my first-year lecturer howling \u201cthe fourth\nestate\u201d in her thick Australian accent is etched in my memory. As a result, I\nfound some of my experiences at RRI challenging.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the\nreporting I did was inside air-conditioned hotels and government buildings. I\nrecognise the importance of authoritative sources. But, it seemed strange to\nspend a morning drinking tea and talking achievements with diplomats,\ngovernment officials and academics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, of course, I\ndidn\u2019t come to Indonesia to have every one of my standing beliefs about\nJournalism affirmed. I don\u2019t agree with the way RRI does every little thing.\nBut, am I supposed to? Unlike many of the reporters at RRI, I\u2019ve never lived\nthrough a period of civil unrest in my country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every day\njournalists at RRI walk a fine line between considering national interest and\nelevating individuals in their society. It is complex and messy and truly\nimpressive. It requires an attention to social, historical and cultural nuance\nprobably impossible for a foreign journalist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working at RRI was\nan invaluable experience that taught me the impact history and culture has on\nmedia. It is an experience I will take with me throughout the rest of my\nstudies and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Lisa Grace Favazzo is a student living in Melbourne, Australia. This\nsummer she took part in a journalism professional placement program run by the\nAustralian Consortium for In-country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS). Her trip\nhighlights include speaking (terrible) Bahasa Indonesia, eating onde-onde and\ninterning with the countries public radio broadcaster; RRI. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Interning at Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) reminded me of family dinners at my Italian-Australian grandparents\u2019 house in the late 90s: Cigarettes and instant coffee in the kitchen. Trophies, awards and […]<\/p>\n

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