Journalism Professional Practicum (JPP)

What is the JPP?

The JPP is organised as a six-week study program, undertaken in Jakarta at the end of the Australian academic calendar year, during January and February. It is open to students of journalism, media and communications studies, and cadet journalists. The program is designed to provide participants, who may not necessarily have Indonesian-language skills or experience in Indonesia, with the opportunity to live and work in the diverse and dynamic media scene of the bustling capital, Jakarta.

The JPP is a unique opportunity to develop your journalism skills within an international media environment, while learning about globally significant issues in one of the region's most important nations. The program aims to give students the background knowledge and theoretical insights required to work in and report on Indonesia. Participants will experience the social, workplace and professional journalistic cultures directly through class work and practical work placements in media organisations, and also get a taste for the environment in which a foreign correspondent might operate and the nature of international journalism.

The JPP Project Officer for the JPP 2012 is Mr Stephen Fitzpatrick. Stephen is a Walkley award-winning former Jakarta correspondent for The Australian. He has been a newspaper journalist for more than two decades and has a long-standing academic interest in Indonesia, having studied as an undergraduate in Yogyakarta in 1994-95 and again in 1998. He finished his almost five-year posting in Jakarta for The Australian last year, capping that period with a Walkley award for outstanding continuous coverage of an event for his stories concerning the 2009 Oceanic Viking asylum seeker standoff. He speaks fluent Indonesian and considers Jakarta a second home after Sydney, where he currently lives having returned to a desk job at the newspaper. He has held a range of other senior positions as a journalist at The Australian including world news editor and now deputy editor of Review, the newspaper’s weekly arts journal.

Read about previous JPP programs:

• A pilot JPP program was held in 2002,
• and full programs were held in Jakarta in 2008,
• 2009,
• 2010 and
• 2011.

Indonesia, as the world's largest Muslim nation and home to the most significant tracts of tropical forests outside Brazil, is at crossroads of two critical contemporary global debates. Can Islam and democracy co-exist and can innovative, global environmental initiatives -- such as compensating Indonesia for logging income lost when forests are protected -- help bring global emissions down? Indonesia is also Australia's most important neighbour. Given the long history of bi-lateral tensions, understanding Indonesia can only enhance a new media career. As the world's fifth most populous nation, struggling with significant poverty, underemployment and inadequate public services, Indonesia also offers young visiting journalists the opportunity to consider politics, economics and daily life from a new angle, outside the Western media lens.

At the opening ceremony for JPP 2009 Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Mr Bill Farmer said:

“I congratulate ACICIS on providing this opportunity to young visitors to Indonesia and also basically for having the vision to see that this is really a very important foundation stone in the sort of relationship we are building between our two countries. That is, a relationship I think that is increasingly one of understanding. That’s where the ACICIS students really come into this, coming to understand Indonesia yourselves, but then conveying that understanding to an Australian audience.”

What do New Zealand students think of the JPP?

Each year a number of high-performing New Zealand journalism students are sponsored by the Asia:New Zealand Foundation to attend the JPP. Here are some of their stories:

• Andrew Livingstone - Indonesia is like life with the volume turned up
• Rhiannon Horrell, Charles Anderson, Sarah Urlich - Stories from 2009
• Tania Butterfield - I knew it would be the experience of a lifetime
• Sarah Young (2011) - Stories from chaotic Jakarta
• Alex Walls (2011) - Selamat datang ke Jakarta
• Helena de Reus (2011) - Changed perceptions of Indonesia
• Talia Shadwell (2012) - A taste of the Big Durian

JPP details

• 2012 Details (dates and costs)
• Placements and the Selection process
• Assessment and Accreditation
• FAQs
• Stakeholder's Protocol
• Applications Forms
• Information on Visas
• Predeparture Readings and Study Details
• Jakarta information

Read the ACICIS student magazine for the JPP:

• 2008 edition
• 2009 edition.

Some important points to remember

• Applicants should be aware that they are applying for the program, not a specific placement. Participants must therefore accept that they may not get their preferred placement. In addition, all ACICIS placements with journalism organisations depend entirely on the good will and preparedness of such organisations to host participants. Such organisations retain the right to withdraw from the program or vary the number of participants they host at any stage. Therefore, while acting in good faith in preparing students for placements, ACICIS cannot guarantee any specific internship site and participants must accept this need for flexibility as a condition of participation in the Journalism Professional Practicum.
• The visa that students use is not a working visa. Students are in breach of their visa provisons by doing stringer work, or any other kind of paid work, while on the JPP. ACICIS takes this matter very seriously and will take disciplinary measures against any student found doing this.
• Travel outside of Jakarta for business or pleasure is only allowed with the advance permission of the Project Officer. There are strict provisions attached to this and these can be read on the last page of the application forms.
• Students are advised to take a laptop with them to Indonesia, as in most cases this will help them greatly in their work placements. In some work placements it is essential.
• You may also want to consider bringing specific journalism devices (e.g. recording devices) with you, as these will not necessarily be provided at your work placement.
• Please be advised that Atma Jaya has a dress code which will be enforced by ACICIS. T-shirts and thongs are not appropriate.
• If you cannot attend orientation then you will unfortunately not be able to participate in the program.
• All participants must agree to abide by a Stakeholders' Protocol.