Journalism and Islam in The Malay Archipelago: Five Approaches
Keywords:
Islam, journalism, Indonesia, Malaysia, journalistic values
Abstract
Although the principles of journalism – truth, verification, balance, and independence from power – are arguably universal, they are interpreted through the prisms of local culture. Five news organizations in Indonesia and Malaysia suggest a variety of approaches to understanding the relationship between journalism and Islam. Whereas writers at Indonesia's Sabili magazine were selected based on their experience in the tarbiyah or education movement, at Republika (an Indonesian newspaper established to serve the Muslim community) journalistic skills are more important than outward demonstrations of piety. Muslim journalists at the two most liberal of these publications, Indonesia's Tempo magazine and Malaysia's news-portal Malaysiakini, see their work in substantive rather than scripturalist terms, and editors of Harakah, the newspaper of the Pan- Malaysian Islamic party, are outspoken champions of freedom of expression. These varied approaches suggest there is much to be learned from the influence of Islam on the practice of journalism in Southeast Asia.
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References
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Mohammad, Agus, 2001. “Jihad Lewat Tulisan.” Pantau. July 22.
Mowlana, Hamid, 2003. "Foundation of Communication in Islamic Societies," in Mediating Religion: Conversations in Media, Religion, and Culture,eds. Jolyon Mitchell, J. and Marriage, S. London and New York: T&T Clark.
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Roff, William R., 1967. The Origins of Malay Nationalism. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
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Satria, Adhes, 2009. "Olok-olok di Komunitas Liberal." Sabili.December 24: 43-37.
Syahruddin, E. 2010.Etikapeliputanjurnalistikdanpenulisan feature [Ethics of journalistic reporting and feature writing]. Unpublished manuscript.
Tagliacozzo, Eric, ed. (2009).Southeast Asia and the Middle East: Islam, Movement, and the Longue Durée.Singapore: NUS Press
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Jakarta: Equinox Publishing.
Tomsa, Dirk, 2010. "Moderating Islamism in Indonesia: Tracing Patterns of Party Change in the Prosperous Justice Party," Political Research Quarterly 65(3): 486-498.
Tuchman, Gaye, 1972. "Objectivity as Strategic Ritual: An Examination of Newsmen’s Notions of Objectivity." American Journal of Sociology 77 (January): 660-679.
Utomo, A. 2010. Republika: Melintas Zaman [Republika: Across the ages].
Jakarta, Indonesia: Harian Umum Republika.
Wickham, Carrie, 2013. The Muslim Brotherhood: Evolution of an Islamist Movement. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.
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Zakaria, Hafiz, 2007. “From Cairo to the Straits Settlements: Modern Salafiyyah Reformist Ideas in Malay Peninsula,” Intellectual Discourse 15 (2): 125-146.
Interviews:
• Interview with Ahmad Lutfi, Kuala Lumpur, July 2, 2013.
• Interview with Ahmad Lutfi, Kuala Lumpur, July 25, 2013.
• Interview with Aidila Razak, Kuala Lumpur, August 17, 2010.
• Interview with Arif Zulkifli, Jakarta, May 28, 2009.
• Interview with Budi Setiyarso, Jakarta, June 7, 2013.
• Interview with Daru Priyambodo, Jakarta, January 2, 2012.
• Interview with Dhimam Abror, Surabaya, June 6, 2009.
• Interview with Elba Damhuri, Jakarta, October 15, 2012.
• Interview with Elik Susanto, Jakarta, April 23, 2013.
• Interview with Emam Mulyatman, Jakarta, March 21, 2013.
• Interview with H.M. Kolili, Yogyakarta, August 2, 2011.
• Interview with Hazlan Zakaria, Kuala Lumpur, August 18, 2010.
• Interview with Hazlan Zakaria, Kuala Lumpur, June 23, 2012.
• Interview with Heri Ruslan, Jakarta, December 28, 2012.
• Interview with Hery Nurdi, Jakarta, March 25, 2014.
• Interview with Indira Rezkisari, Jakarta, June 8, 2012.
• Interview with Nasihin Masha, Jakarta,June 4, 2010.
• Interview with Shufiyan Shukor, Kuala Lumpur, August 18, 2010.
• Interview with Steven Gan, Kuala Lumpur, March 24, 2008.
• Interview with Syu'bah Asa, Jakarta, August 2, 2000.
• Interview with Zaim Uchrowi, Jakarta, May 14, 2013.
• Interview with Zulkifli Sulong, Kuala Lumpur, February 20, 2013.
Anam, Faris. K., 2009. Fikih Jurnalistik: Etika & Kebebasan Pers Menurut Islam. [Journalistic Jurisprudence: Ethics and Press Freedom According to Islam]. Jakarta: Pustaka Al-Kautsar.
Author, 2005. Wars Within: The Story of Tempo, an Independent Magazine in Soeharto’s Indonesia. Jakarta and Singapore: Equinox Publishing and ISEAS.
Author, 2009. “Professionalism Online: How Malaysiakini Challenges Authoritarianism.” International Journal of Press/Politics 14 (1): 91-
111.
Author, 2011. “Justice and Journalism: Islam and Journalistic Values in Indonesia and Malaysia.” Journalism: Theory, Practice, and Criticism 12 (June): 533-549.
Author, 2014. “Ramadan in the Newsroom: Tempo, Malaysiakini and the State,” in Religious Pluralism, State and Society, ed. Chiara Formichi, New York: Routledge, 2014.
Bubalo, Anthony, and Fealy, Greg, 2005.Joining the Caravan? The Middle East, Islamism and Indonesia. Lowry Institute Paper 05, Longueville Media for the Lowry Institute for International Policy Double Bay, Australia.
Chusjairi, Juni Alfiah , 2014. The Construction of an Anti-Western Islamist Discourse in Indonesian Magazines. Ph.D dissertation. University of Western Sydney.
Gans, HerberT,1979. Deciding What's News: A Study of CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, Newsweek, and Time. New York: Pantheon.
George, Cherian, 2006. Contentious Journalism and the Internet: Towards Democratic Discourse in Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore: Singapore University Press.
Hefner, Robert, 1993. "Islam, Class, and Civil Society: ICMI and the Struggle
for the Indonesian Middle Class." Indonesia 56 (October), 1-35.
Hefner, Robert, 1997. "Print Islam: Mass Media and Ideological Rivalries Among Indonesian Muslims." Indonesia 64 (October), 77-103.
Hefner, Robert, 2000. Civil Islam: Muslims and Democratization in Indonesia. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Hill, David, 1994.The Press in New Order Indonesia. Jakarta: Pustaka Sinar Harapan.
Jomo, K.S., and Cheek, Ahmad Shabery, 1992. “Malaysia’s Islamic Movements” in Fragmented Vision: Culture and Politics in Contemporary Malaysia,eds. J. Kahn, J. and K. Loh. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Kahn, Joel S., 2006. Other Malays: Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism in the Modern Malay World. Honolulu: Asian Studies Association of Australia in association with University of Hawai’i Press.
Kamali, Mohammad Hashim, 2002. Freedom, Equality and Justice in Islam. Kuala Lumpur: Ilmiah Publishers.
Khiabany, Gholam, 2006. Religion and media in Iran: The imperative of the market and the straightjacket of Islamism. Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture 3(2), 3–21.
Ruspiyandy, Deffy, 2013. “Umat Islam Jawa Barat Istiqomah Membasmi Sepilis.” Sabili. January 24: 40-43.
Mohammad, Agus, 2001. “Jihad Lewat Tulisan.” Pantau. July 22.
Mowlana, Hamid, 2003. "Foundation of Communication in Islamic Societies," in Mediating Religion: Conversations in Media, Religion, and Culture,eds. Jolyon Mitchell, J. and Marriage, S. London and New York: T&T Clark.
Nada, Youssef with Thompson, Douglas, 2012. Inside the Muslim Brotherhood. London: Metro Publishing.
Nagota, Judith, 2010. “Authority and democracy in Malaysian and Indonesian Islamic Movements,” in Islam and Politics in Southeast Asia ed. Johan Saravanamuttu, New York: Routledge, 18-44.
Pintak, Lawrence, and Ginges, Jeremy, 2008. "The Mission of Arab Journalism: Creating Change in a Time of Turmoil."The International Journal of Press/Politics 13 (3): 193-227.
Quran: Al-Hujuraat: 49:6 (Malik translation http://www.alim.org/library/ quran/surah/english/49/MAL)
Roff, William R., 1967. The Origins of Malay Nationalism. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
Roff, William R., 2009. Studies on Islam and Society in Southeast Asia.
Singapore: NUS Press.
Romano, Angela, 2003. Politics and the Press in Indonesia: Understanding an Evolving Political Culture. London: RoutledgeCurzon.
Rubin, Barry, ed. 2010. The Muslim Brotherhood. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Satria, Adhes, 2009. "Olok-olok di Komunitas Liberal." Sabili.December 24: 43-37.
Syahruddin, E. 2010.Etikapeliputanjurnalistikdanpenulisan feature [Ethics of journalistic reporting and feature writing]. Unpublished manuscript.
Tagliacozzo, Eric, ed. (2009).Southeast Asia and the Middle East: Islam, Movement, and the Longue Durée.Singapore: NUS Press
Tarrant, B. 2008.Reporting Indonesia: The Jakarta Post Story 1983-2008.
Jakarta: Equinox Publishing.
Tomsa, Dirk, 2010. "Moderating Islamism in Indonesia: Tracing Patterns of Party Change in the Prosperous Justice Party," Political Research Quarterly 65(3): 486-498.
Tuchman, Gaye, 1972. "Objectivity as Strategic Ritual: An Examination of Newsmen’s Notions of Objectivity." American Journal of Sociology 77 (January): 660-679.
Utomo, A. 2010. Republika: Melintas Zaman [Republika: Across the ages].
Jakarta, Indonesia: Harian Umum Republika.
Wickham, Carrie, 2013. The Muslim Brotherhood: Evolution of an Islamist Movement. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.
Williams, Louise, and Rich, Roland, 2000. Losing Control: Freedom of the Press in Asia. Canberra: Asia Pacific Press.
Zakaria, Hafiz, 2007. “From Cairo to the Straits Settlements: Modern Salafiyyah Reformist Ideas in Malay Peninsula,” Intellectual Discourse 15 (2): 125-146.
Interviews:
• Interview with Ahmad Lutfi, Kuala Lumpur, July 2, 2013.
• Interview with Ahmad Lutfi, Kuala Lumpur, July 25, 2013.
• Interview with Aidila Razak, Kuala Lumpur, August 17, 2010.
• Interview with Arif Zulkifli, Jakarta, May 28, 2009.
• Interview with Budi Setiyarso, Jakarta, June 7, 2013.
• Interview with Daru Priyambodo, Jakarta, January 2, 2012.
• Interview with Dhimam Abror, Surabaya, June 6, 2009.
• Interview with Elba Damhuri, Jakarta, October 15, 2012.
• Interview with Elik Susanto, Jakarta, April 23, 2013.
• Interview with Emam Mulyatman, Jakarta, March 21, 2013.
• Interview with H.M. Kolili, Yogyakarta, August 2, 2011.
• Interview with Hazlan Zakaria, Kuala Lumpur, August 18, 2010.
• Interview with Hazlan Zakaria, Kuala Lumpur, June 23, 2012.
• Interview with Heri Ruslan, Jakarta, December 28, 2012.
• Interview with Hery Nurdi, Jakarta, March 25, 2014.
• Interview with Indira Rezkisari, Jakarta, June 8, 2012.
• Interview with Nasihin Masha, Jakarta,June 4, 2010.
• Interview with Shufiyan Shukor, Kuala Lumpur, August 18, 2010.
• Interview with Steven Gan, Kuala Lumpur, March 24, 2008.
• Interview with Syu'bah Asa, Jakarta, August 2, 2000.
• Interview with Zaim Uchrowi, Jakarta, May 14, 2013.
• Interview with Zulkifli Sulong, Kuala Lumpur, February 20, 2013.
Published
2019-01-01
How to Cite
Janet Steele. (2019). Journalism and Islam in The Malay Archipelago: Five Approaches. Konfrontasi: Jurnal Kultural, Ekonomi Dan Perubahan Sosial, 6(1), 42-59. https://doi.org/10.33258/konfrontasi2.v4i1.57
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Articles
Copyright (c) 2020 Janet Steele
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