Press Council honors five missing journalists as press heroes

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Press Council declared five journalists missing in the Sunda Strait as press heroes after their boat vanished near Mount Anak Krakatau, calling the incident a stark reminder of safety needs in dangerous assignments.

Speaking following a joint prayer service in Jakarta on Monday, Press Council Chairman Komarudin Hidayat emphasized the immense risks photojournalists take to deliver crucial news and visual reporting to the public.

"We usually enjoy the images, yet sometimes we forget the struggle involved in capturing them," Komarudin said.

"When a tragedy like this occurs, we suddenly realize the high cost and immense difficulty of seeking out and securing the best shots,” he added.

The five journalists missing aboard the vessel are M. Bagus Khoirunnas, a photojournalist with the Antara News Agency; Ari Basuki, a photojournalist with Merdeka.com; Yudistiro Pranoto, a photojournalist with iNews.id; Firdaus Wajidi, a journalist with Anadolu Agency; and Donal Husni, a freelance photojournalist. Three crew members aboard the vessel are also missing.

They were heading toward Mount Anak Krakatau to cover volcanic activity in the area on September 7, before the vessel they were on was reported to have lost contact.

Komarudin urged news outlets planning assignments in high-risk zones to maintain strict coordination with local authorities and government officials, while calling on media executives to provide full care and assistance to the victims' families.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Photojournalists Association (PFI) Dwi Pambudo expressed profound grief over the incident.

He stated that photojournalists stand united in continuing search efforts, despite the joint search and rescue (SAR) team officially calling off its 10-day operation on September 17 for the five journalists and three crew members.

"Indonesian photojournalists remain resilient, standing united with the community in conducting independent search efforts," Dwi said.

He stated that the dedication shown by the missing journalists while on coverage represents a noble public service, noting that their work stands at the forefront of revealing facts and timely events.

Dwi expressed hope to prevent such tragedies in the future.

"We hope our colleagues can safely return to their families and that their work will live on," he said.

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Translator: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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