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Making history with the nation’s photojournalism
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Panelists Beawiharta (second left), Adisti Sukma Sawitri (second right) and moderator, Tri Joko Her Riadi (right) pose with Padjajaran University students after the event themed Photojournalism in the Spirit of Participation. (Courtsey of TJP. 8/ June/ 2023)
H
eld on Thursday at Padjajaran University, The Jakarta Post, in partnership with the PannaFoto Institute, the discussion panel embarked on the theme Photojournalism in the Spirit of Participation.
Moderator Tri Joko Her Riadichief, editor of Bandung Bergerak, encouraged ambitious and aspiring photographers from Padjajaran University in Jatinagor to discover the power of visual communication. The event, in which Adisti Sawitri and Beawiharta were panelists, was an open space to be heard and seen. The discussion explored how photojournalism grants such accessibility.
Sawitri plays a vital role in the digital transformation process at the Post and is currently keeping her eye on a series of special coverages on climate and energy transition, funded by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Sawitri, managing editor at the Post, admired for her experienced story-telling and news-writing skills, covers environmental, energy and political issues in Indonesia and how we progress in time.
“We are the note-takers of history. As a society, we should not forget where we came from and [we should question] moving forward, ‘Where are we heading’?” Sawitri said, as she shared her personal opinion on the role of photojournalism as an advocate of democracy.
Her presentation voiced the continuous importance of celebrating historical figures and the impact photojournalism has in capturing the nation’s history, such as the Post’s renowned bold headline print, “I QUIT,” emphasizing Soeharto’s resignation on May 21, 1998.
“This was a very memorable coverage,” noted Sawitri.
Visual storyteller and Jember-born senior photographer Beawiharta highlights the ways in which one can springboard social media to distribute their visually-captured stories.
“The photography should be something striking, and I said, ‘I have to capture that’,” said Beawiharta in his presentation, “With just one frame, it speaks.”
“We all as photographers should be able to craft a story, not just to take a photograph,” Beawiharta said.
During the discussion, students from Padjajaran University enlivened the event and were presented with an opportunity to ask questions to the panelist. The Post’s 40th anniversary photo contest is open until June 20 with the theme A Voice for All: Capturing the Spirit of Participation.
Participation in this contest promises a showcase of unity in the community.
