Pekanbaru, Ekuatorial – Around 18 Indonesian journalists attended a workshop on geojournalism, held by Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalist (SIEJ), in Tesso Nilo National Park, in Pelalawan, Riau.
The workshop, dubbed with “Digital Data Processing in Forestry Sector, will run from Oct 16 to 19. Its aim is to provide more knowledge for journalists, who are mostly coming from Jakarta and Sumatra island, to be able to use data, such as maps and satellite imagery for their stories. With a more thorough data and accurate field reporting, Indonesian journalists will be able to improve their writing skills as much as their journalistic abilities.
On its second workshop, presenters will include head of Tesso Nilo National Park, World Resources Institute, Scale Up, and Earth Journalism Network. On the first day, journalists will be give materials and data related to forestry sector, especially in Riau province. In addition, there will be information on current regulations, on-going conflicts, and environmental destructions in Riau. Afterwards, journalists will have to compare those data with facts from the ground observation using satellite images.
At the end of the workshop, there will be a simulation on how to gather maps data using drone and Kite Aerial Photography, a camera strapped into a kite to get pictures from above. With the new method of geojournalism, it is expected that it will enhance journalists’ abilities and capabilities in managing the data.
The Tesso Nilo National Park is chosen because it depicts Indonesia’s forest management where protected areas have been encroached by illegal oil palm plantations and mineral extractions. Januar Hakam