Church leaders in Indonesia lauded the country’s Catholic media for its “invaluable contribution to the nation.”
“All of you, as Catholics, have always maintained your Christian faith and ethics by committing yourselves to producing good news,” said Father Peter Christian Siswantoko.
The executive secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Indonesia told a gathering of the Indonesian Catholic Journalists Association recently that journalism “is a noble profession” and journalists are “called to bring hope and optimism to society.”
“Your faith in Christ is realized through good professional and ethical deeds,” the priest was quoted as saying in a report released by the Church news agency Fides.
The Indonesian Catholic Journalists Association was established in 2004 by journalists Putut Prabantoro and Pieter Gero as a venue to bring together Catholic media professionals in the country.
This year, the organization recognized five Indonesian personalities for their contribution to society:
- Carina Joe, a young Indonesian scientist from the University of Oxford
- Cinta Laura Kiehl, a young singer who spouses Indonesian national unity
- Jonatan Christie, a badminton player who won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games
- Retired General AM Hendropriyono, former head of the country’s National Intelligence Agency
- Pieter Gero, senior journalist from Kompas
“[The Indonesian Catholic Journalists Association has generated many good points opinions about the life of the nation, about social unity,” said Gero.
“This happens when we journalists respect our code of ethics and do our work with a strong sense of responsibility,” he added. – from a report on Agenzia Fides
