Award to boost investigative reporting

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Institute for Press and Development Studies (LSPP) is offering an award and fellowships named after noted journalist Mochtar Lubis to boost investigative reporting in the country.

The Mochtar Lubis Award will be given to five journalists for the best local or national public services coverage, best feature writing, best investigative reporting, best photo and best in-depth television reporting published between July 1, 2007, and June 10, 2008.

Each winner will receive Rp 50 million (approximately US$5,400).

Fellowships will be awarded to 10 individuals or teams, each receiving Rp 10 million in monthly stipend during four months of investigative reporting.

Their reports will be published in the form of books and the fellows will tour the country to provide training on investigative journalism to local journalists.

LSPP executive Rusdi Marpaung said here Thursday the award was in tribute to Mochtar, who died at 82 in July 2004.

Mochtar is well-known for his fight for press freedom in Indonesia. His international credentials included the Magsaysay Award for the Press, which he won in 1958.

Mochtar worked as editor for the foreign news desk at national news agency Antara in the 1940s and as editor in chief of Indonesia Raya until it was banned by the government in 1974.

His criticism against first president Sukarno and second president Soeharto resulted in years of imprisonment and the ban of Indonesia Raya.

"(The late) Mochtar Lubis is a very special figure in the country's investigative journalism. No journalists here have specialized in investigative reporting as he did; he dared to raise the curtain and take risks.

"We make this award so as to inspire Indonesian journalists to create clean, pro-democracy and anti-corruption media. We want to develop a better press," Rusdi told The Jakarta Post.

Sponsorship liaison Vashti Trisawati Abdhidana said the award was meant to be an Indonesian version of the Magsaysay or the Pulitzer.

"We want to make this award serious and prestigious, (different from) existing journalism awards," she said.

Entries for the Mochtar Lubis Award will be accepted until June 13, while the fellowship will close June 6. Winners will be announced in July.

Further information can be found at lspp.org.