New Zealand honours excellence at Indonesian journalism awards

NZ Deputy Head of Mission Chris Langley presents the prize money to the winners

Excellence in Indonesian journalism was honoured by the New Zealand Embassy at the 2011 Mochtar Lubis Awards ceremony held in Jakarta on 11 August in the presence of the children of the late Mochtar Lubis.

The Embassy, in partnership with the Institute for Press Studies and Development (LSPP), sponsored one of the award’s five categories – “Best Reporting in the Public Interest.”

The joint winners in this category were Tempo magazine, with an article on the the drainage system in Jakarta and its contribution to worsening flooding in the city, and daily newspaper Kompas, with an article on problems with the Jakarta Metro Mini and Kopaja bus lines. Both winners will share 50 million rupiah in prize money.

When announcing the winners, New Zealand ’s Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia , Chris Langley, said he was impressed with the high degree of freedom and independence in the Indonesian media.

“A responsible and free media is something worth celebrating. For that reason, the New Zealand Embassy is pleased to support the 2011 Mochtar Lubis Awards.”

Langley said that the public relied on journalists with the highest professionalism to produce quality reporting. This professionalism, as well as adherence to a code of ethics, served to increase the public’s confidence in the media.

This was the fourth year the Mochtar Lubis Awards have been held and the second year the Embassy has supported the event. The event was launched by the LSPP in 2008 to recognise the best journalism in Indonesia. Celebrated journalist, editor and author Mochtar Lubis (1922-2004) was a champion of media freedom and standards in Indonesia.