Changes in the pattern of dissemination and reception of information and messages from the media are increasingly being felt today. In the past, news sources were very dominated and controlled by mainstream mass media. The presence of information and communication technology has marked changes in the pattern of dissemination of news information through the media. Information and communication technology is like a bridge in reaching a wider audience. Media such as online media, digital media, social media, and the presence of artificial intelligence increasingly strengthen the position of information and communication technology in information dissemination. These media create convenience in several aspects such as the use, provision and dissemination of news information which can be done directly by the public. Apart from that, the issues that are disseminated to the public have their own uniformity, starting from political, economic, health, tourism, development and environmental issues.
Environmental issues have become a topic of discourse throughout the world, including Indonesia, because the environmental crisis is increasingly being felt. This condition can be seen from several natural phenomena such as rising sea levels, increasing global warming, environmental damage, and so on. The increasing significance of the environmental crisis can be overcome by involving various actors, change agents and the public. This means that dealing with the environmental crisis must be done collectively so that various parties can synergize with each other. The poor condition of Indonesia's environment is depicted in the report released by the Environmental Performance Index (IPE) in 2022. The IPE report relates to the results of environmental performance throughout the world which analyzes and understands environmental performance throughout the world. IPE uses 3 indicators to view environmental performance, namely ecosystem vitality, health and climate change. The report results show that Indonesia is in 164th place out of 180 countries which has a very low index score, namely 28.20 (Wolf et al., 2022). Based on these data, it can be said that Indonesia's environmental quality is included in the very poor category.
The environmental crisis that occurs can be caused by various factors. In general, environmental damage factors are caused by deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, uncontrolled development, exploitation of natural resources, and so on. Interestingly, all this environmental damage is caused by humans as the main mastermind. This can be represented through various "individuals and corporations" who are running their businesses irresponsibly. Many of the main driving factors are economic profit, corporate sustainability, market demand, and lack of regulation or law enforcement. Quoted from Mahkamah Konstitusi, Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan (BPK), which conducted an environmental audit related to disasters, said that the main cause of environmental damage was non-compliance by the government, related agencies, the private sector and the public with environmental legislation. In addition, law enforcement in the implementation of prevention, mitigation and restoration of environmental damage is still weak (Mahkamah Konstitusi Republik Indonesia, 2008). This means that it can be said that the law used is considered weak in its application.
Handling environmental crises can be done in various ways. Where people can use social media as a tool to disseminate environmental information to create knowledge for the public. Using social media does not require expensive costs and can be used by anyone. In other words, people who use social media to disseminate various environmental information are known as citizen journalists. Citizen journalism that specifically discusses environmental issues is called citizen environmental journalism. This type is different from traditional news media because the process of collecting and disseminating information is carried out by the community. This is done because of a strong altruistic impulse to protect the environment.
Allan & Ewart (2015) said that the difference between citizen environmental journalism is that it focuses more on discussing and disseminating environmental information, starting from environmental risks, threats and dangers. The systematic workflow and stakeholder interests in traditional media also convey in-depth environmental information or news. The reason is that traditional media as mainstream media pursues the economy more. The situation is different with social media because the dynamics of its use are more flexible, so spreading environmental messages is not difficult. However, the information disseminated must be valid or not a hoax. Lester & Hutchins (2012) say that ICT and online communication promise changes in the news agenda, changes in reporting and editorial, and competing corporate interests from large-scale media conglomerates.
Like journalism in general, citizen environmental journalism has the characteristics of reporting environmental news, namely based on direct observation of events and the use of ICT. Given the challenges faced by mainstream news media when reporting on environmental issues, citizen environmental journalists are trying to take advantage of the opportunity to become such journalists. Allan & Ewart (2015) say that there is an inability of mainstream media to disseminate information on environmental events because sometimes they only focus on a few aspects. This causes gaps in sending and receiving information. Social media used by citizen journalists helps balance this gap so that information on the environmental crisis does not confuse the public. Social media platforms play an important role in disseminating environmental information. Citizen environmental journalism plays a role in filling the information gap that comes from mainstream media.
Journalists from big media often take various reports on environmental events or events, citizen journalists and environmental journalists and experts. Environmental problem information data originating from both is stored or uploaded on social media and even websites. This means that some big media journalists use information from citizen environmental journalism to add information. This proves that citizen environmental journalism has a role in providing information to the public and large media journalists. Apart from that, journalism, experts and the community as citizen environmental journalism must partner to cover gaps in the chain of information conveyed to the public. Collective work in disseminating environmental information will have an impact on improving the quality of information and public trust. Appelgren & Jönsson (2021) stated that environmental issues framed in journalism are important so that they can involve and lead to individual and collective action. Where journalism has been recognized as a practice that often presents a high level of interactivity and has the potential to involve the public. The impact of citizen environmental journalists adds diversity to the discourse, providing alternative agendas for information providers.
Allan & Ewart (2015) said that people who are involved in citizen environmental journalism activities are increasingly accepted by environmental experts who always describe environmental phenomena using science. There are factors that support the success of citizen environmental journalism in supporting the dissemination of environmental news and knowledge, namely:
-Rosmalia Ahmad & Diana Anggraeni
References
Allan, S., & Ewart, J. (2015). Citizen Science, Citizen Journalism: New Forms of Environmental Reporting. In A. Hansen & R. Cox (Eds.), The Routledge Handbookof Environment And Communication. Routledge.
Appelgren, E., & Jönsson, A. M. (2021). Engaging Citizens for Climate Change—Challenges for Journalism. Digital Journalism, 9(6), 755–772. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2020.1827965
Lester, L., & Hutchins, B. (2012). The Power of the Unseen: Environmental Conflict, the Media and Invisibility. Media, Culture & Society, 34(7), 847–863. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443712452772
Mahkaman Konstitusi Republik Indonesia. (2008). BPK Menilai Penegakan Hukum Perusakan Lingkungan Masih Lemah. Https://Www.Mkri.Id. https://www.mkri.id/index.php?page=web.Berita&id=1587a&menu=2
Wolf, M. J., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., Sherbinin, A. de, & Wendling, Z. A. (2022). Environmental Performance Index 2022: Rangking Country Performance on Sustainability Issues. https://epi.yale.edu/downloads/epi2022report06062022.pdf