The vulnerability of Freelance Journalists

The freelance journalists work hard to produce quality news. The press companies direct them to attract advertisers. However, the companies often neglect their rights. How do the press companies control the journalists? *

"Jauhar (male, 27 years old, not the real name) sat cross-legged with his head nodding. His left and right fingers did not stop adjusting his cigarette. 'I have been paid only IDR 3,500 (USD 0.23) per month,' said Jauhar while lighting his cigarette. The smoke from the cigarette exited his mouth, filling the room."

"Because the article paid based on its views," He explained that the very low fee was due to the payment being based on the article's views. 

That was his first payment as a local online media journalist in Yogyakarta. The certified mass media in the press council has a network with national media. However, in Regulation of Press Council Number 3, 2019, regarding the standard of Press Companies, it is stated that the press company is obliged to pay its journalists at UMP (Province Minimum Wage) and guarantee the welfare of the journalists.

After graduating from one of the universities in Yogyakarta, Jauhar applied for jobs at various companies. "If I had been accepted to work in the office, I would not have worked as a freelance journalist," Jauhar explained his situation, which forced him to accept an irregular job with uncertain payment. "The office workers called it 'intern workers.' We call it a contributor or freelance journalist," he added.

"In the second month I was paid IDR 400,000 (USD 25.84). They (the press company) have a standard to count the views," Jauhar explained that his pay was not determined by the prices of the articles he submitted or had published. It was also not calculated based on UMP. Additionally, It was not determined by the amount of calories and time needed to produce the article. Jauhar wrote five to seven articles per day. The UMP 2023 in the Special Province of Yogyakarta is about IDR 1,9 million (USD 122.74).

In that media, Jauhar's name is mentioned as a 'writer.' He writes news about sports and technology. Each of his writings is accompanied by images. "If the photos are not paid for," emphasizes Jauhar. 

The term "freelance journalist" is popular and refers to a journalist who works independently, not bound by set news targets, with flexible working hours at a press company. They play various roles such as contributors, reporters, photographers, content creators, camera persons, editors, videographers, or stringers. They are also referred to as irregular journalists or field journalists. These freelance journalists are sometimes referred to as 'tuyul' because they work and produce journalistic content, but their names do not appear in the published journalistic works.

Totok Djuroto in "Manajemen Penerbitan Pers" (2000) mentioned the freelance journalist as someone who works independently from the press company, is paid based on published news, and can work for any press company independently. Freelance journalists are positioned at the lowest level, below permanent journalists and assistant journalists

Didik Haryadi Santoso and Rani Dwi Lestari in "Legalitas Stringer dan Karya Jurnalistik dalam Media Televisi" (2017) mentioned that the practice of freelance journalism benefits the press company. The works of freelance journalists are published and used as bait to attract audiences and advertisers. "In press companies with diverse media networks, the works of freelance journalists are distributed, yet their existence is not acknowledged, and their rights are often neglected.

Freelance journalism is not considered a work relation. In the manufacturing industry, the term is similar to contract workers, daily workers, or freelance workers. In the last two years, the term partner working relation has also become popular. In reality, regulations only recognize two types of employment relationships, distinguished by the nature and type of work: fixed-term and indefinite term. Moreover, the regulation does not permit the discrimination of workers' rights as they all work and contribute to the company's profits. However, in practice, the situation is different: similar types of employment but different rights. This has been happening for the last two decades across various industry sectors.

The next three months, Jauhar moved to the local online daily media in North Borneo (Kaltara). The company also publishes weekly. In this media, Jauhar's name is written as a reporter. However, his name is not written in the redactures list. He wrote about social, economic, and politics. "Here, I was paid per published article. If I often hunt for news, I can earn IDR 800,000 (USD 51.68) to IDR 2 million (USD 129.06) per month". The wage is only three-quarters of the UMP Kaltara 2023, which is about IDR 3.2 million (USD 206.7). Jauhar explained that he could survive with minimum payment as he does not have any dependents to be responsible for, and he still got additional money from his family.

In the header section of the media's main page, there is a picture of the Governor and Vice Governor of North Borneo. In the right sidebar, there is the advertisement to spend the night in the international hotel that takes one fourth of the website page. Furthermore, there is a large promotion of the Regional Government in the center of the news page that Jauhar wrote.

"If we are instructed to report the news, we should go. The office will immediately call us and ask, 'Where is the news?' Even if we haven't arrived at the office yet, Jauhar told his story how he runs his redacture's instruction that puts him under pressure. Additionally, he must adhere to both his redacteur's instructions and journalistic ethics. In the end, the term freelance journalist who works independently is only a myth.

Four months ago, Jauhar left his workplace. "No compensation", he said. Now, Jauhar is jobless.

Jauhar is one of 7,99 million of Indonesia's population who are unemployed. Deputy for Balance and Statistical Analysis at the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Edy Mahmud said the number of unemployed has decreased compared with the last year, at 8,40 million people. It is common that the one who graduated from high education like Jauhar has difficulty to get a stable job or even a decent job. The manpower ministry, Ida Fauziah, based on Republika.co (23/2/2023), said that about 12% of the unemployed are from higher education.

Innovative Exploitation 

Masduki and colleagues in the Survei Data Pers Indonesia 2021 collected the data from 3141 press companies in Indonesia. Approximately, 61% of those numbers are online media. From all press business units, only 1682 units are verified by the Press Council. 

"Most of the thousands of media companies belong to few media owners. Merlyn Lim in The League of Thirteen: Media Concentration in Indonesia (2012) mentioned that in 2011 mass media were dominated by thirteen huge groups. Per 2018, five groups of media companies were ousted. Next, the mass media moguls occured. Beside their own various types of massa media, the eight media moguls have other business such as properties, entertainment, bank, and fashion.

Based on Ross Tapsell in Media Power in Indonesia: Oligarchs, Citizens, and the Digital Revolution (2018), the eight press companies are Chairul Tanjung who own CT corp, Hary Tanoesoedibjo owns Global Mediacom, Eddy Kusnadi Sariaatmadja controls EMTEK, Bakrie Group own Visi Media Asia, Surya Paloh controls Media Group, Riady family owns Beritasatu Media Holding, Dahlan Iskan owns Jawa Pos Group and Jakoeb Oetama owns Kompas Gramedia.

For instance, Chairul Tanjung, a conglomerate who served as the Ministry of Economic Cooperative during the era of Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono and referred to himself as 'anak singkong' (a self-made person), owns CT Corp". Through managing that media company, Chairul Tanjung gained control over Detikcom, Transmedia, Trans TV, Trans 7, Transvision, Transmedia sosial, Trans Digital Lifestyle Group, CXO Media, Beautynesia, Female Daily, Hai Bunda, Insert Live, CNN Indonesia, and CNBC Indonesia. CT Corp could dominate entertainment business as well such as Trans Studio; travel and hotel business, such as The Trans Hotel dan Citilink; retail business such as Transmart, Wendy’s and The Coffee Bean; and finance business through Mega Bank and Blicicil.

Centralized ownership leads to similar news coverage across the media, and journalists' works are distributed across all media channels. Surely, every channel of those media areas provide rooms for advertisement. The Executive Director Nielsen Media Hellen Katherina mentioned the integrated advertisement in various mass media as an innovation. "It is interesting that the type of ads which are integrated are more evolved. For instance, in a sports program, the animation is attached to the field. Then the ads could be attached on the virtual billboard," said Hellen as written in Liputan6.com (25/8/2020).

However, the journalists only got wages from one media they work at and only once published. Despite the continuous decline in journalists' welfare, they are expected to work professionally and produce high-quality news. In other words, the assets of the rich are supported by thousands of journalists with low wages and uncertain work relations.

The research of AJI Indonesia and LIPS about the mapping of freelance journalists' news values (2023) found that from 429 journalists as source persons, about 81% of their wages were calculated based on news publication. Out of 429 journalists surveyed as source persons, approximately 81% had their wages calculated based on news publication. As many as 47.3 percent of freelance journalists receive wages below the minimum wage, and another 15.4 percent have uncertain wages.

The research stated that the flexible time of freelance journalists is only a myth. They should produce daily news. Approximately 6.5% of journalists mentioned that they are required to submit 30 news articles per month, about 20 news (5,8%) and 100 news (5,6%). To gain those news they should work for 8 hours or more. About 65,4% mentioned that they should work more than 8 hours per day. Only 34,5% who work under 8 hours per day.

Out of these, 10 parent press companies employ the majority of journalists. They are Kompas Gramedia, PT Trans Corpora, Lembaga Radio Televisi Republik Indonesia, PT Global Mediacom, PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk, LKBN Antara, Jawa Pos Group, Media Group, PT Tempo Inti Media, and PT Arkadia Media Nusantara

The journalists should cost themselves to produce quality news. Approximately 93.9% of them do not receive support such as operational vehicles, 91% do not get counseling support, 82.4% do not receive cameras and recording equipment, and 80.8% do not get accident insurance

Furthermore, the journalism works are only appreciated based on views or readers' numbers. The press companies monetized the writers and readers. One reader will got one point. One point is IDR 100 (USD 0.0065) . These points can be exchanged when the writers collect 2,500 points, equivalent to IDR 250,000 (USD 16.14).

One of those press companies who use the point system is a multiplatform media that target millennials and Z generation. Those companies offer ads with exorbitant and diverse prices. The cost of TVC Spot Masthead ads, with a 30-second duration and images sized 970x250 and 300x250, is about IDR 110 million (USD 7,108.12). The price of regular ads size 300x250 atau 320x100 with 100 kilobytes that is placed in the center of the article is about IDR 20 million (USD 1,291.97).

Yanuar Nugroho and colleagues, in Memetakan Lanskap Industri Media Kontemporer di Indonesia (2012), mention that when media companies flock to media convergence and increase advertising spots, media owners have treated the public as consumers, not as citizens with voting rights. The role of the press as educators and watchdogs is disappearing. The information has been changed into a commodity to attract many ads from corporations and governments.

Allegedly, the source of press media's income is from the sale of newspapers, the subscription fee and ads. Among journalists, there is a well-known term: 'The news is the blood of media, ads are its soul. However, when the rating of mass media is high and ads spot spread, the profits are not distributed to the journalist. The media owner will choose to build a new company. In contrast, when the ads are decreasing, the journalists are the ones who take the risk. In a pandemic context, when the ads are decreasing, the welfare of journalists are being cut.

The Freelance Journalist, The Expansion of Odd Jobs 

The number of press companies is increasing. Approximately, the numbers of Journalists work in various working relations. "How many journalists in Indonesia? Only God knows," said The Vice Press Council, Hendry Chairudin Bangun, as published in Medcom.id (16/9/2019). Bangun assumed that the number of journalists in Indonesia is about 120 thousand people.

In fact, there is no official data about the numbers of journalists, especially those labeled as 'freelance'. Similar treatment for a question on how many numbers of contact and daily workers in Indonesia. The absence of valid data about the numbers of journalists indicates employer non-compliance with mandatory labor reporting. And, the worst of regulation enforcement in those fields. The bill number 7/1981 about mandatory labor reporting stated that each company was obliged to report the identities, working relations, labor protection and the employment opportunities in each company. Director of Legal Norm Examination in Manpower at the Ministry of Manpower, Yuli Adiratna, as published in Detik.com (1/9/2021) stated that from 26 national media, only 359.703 companies which already registered their Mandatory Reporting of Company Manpower (WLKP).

If referring to BPS data (2023), you will find data as follows. The numbers of people who work in the formal sector are about 55,29 million people and 83,34 people work in the informal sector. Those numbers are placed in 17 main employments, there are information and communication sectors. Those who work in the information and communication sectors are 1,009,091 people. Those numbers are divided into 6 working status such as self employed (191, 946 people), entrepreneur assisted by other laborers (35.120 people), Labor/workers/officer (679.202 people), freelance workers (24.583 people), family workers/unpaid (37.993 people).

The increase of freelance journalists goes along with the centralized media ownership, expansion of labor market flexibility and the weakness of law enforcement. Labor Market flexibility was implemented in the 1980s period, expanded and strengthened in the 2000s. As mentioned by Jan Breman in A Bogus Concept? (2013), the stratification of job types is a characteristic of a profit-oriented labor regime". Breman argued, the vulnerable job's types are not new symptoms in the former colonies. In the end of 19th century, the types of informal jobs were the supportive system for permanent jobs in developed countries. 

Unlike Jauhar, who, pressed by circumstances, reluctantly embraced the role of a freelance journalist, there are also journalists who choose to work as freelancers. For the awardee of Oktavianus Pogou 2022, Eko Rusdianto, being a freelance journalist means gaining the freedom to learn, meeting with a lot of people and giving voice to the marginalized. He said, although freelance journalists have a lack of income, "but we are happy doing it". And he refers to it as worship," as he said in Inspirasadotco (9/2/2022). However, as the public knows, the workers' rights are not influenced by personal motives. The freelance journalists work in press companies which produce news periodically. That news became a commodity. Therefore, they have rights to be permanent workers with decent wages. 

Press freedom is open. The technology comes. The society's pattern of consuming news has changed. The mass media industry also has changed as well. The printed news media decreased, the online media increased highly. Some media owners were recognised as the conglomerate, built political partyz or took important positions in the government. The journalist's condition fell. 

Jauhar, one of many journalists referred to as freelance journalists. As the label freelance attached, the rights are differentiated with permanent journalists. However, the obligations are similar as a journalist: produce journalism works which follow journalism ethics. They also face types of work that have the potential to cause occupational diseases and deal with hazardous workspaces that can lead to workplace accidents, even resulting in loss of life.

*This article has been published in Tulisan majalahsedane.org, entitled The Suffering of News Maker . 25th of  September, 2023. links https://majalahsedane.org/derita-pemberita/