News about the Sunda Strait Tsunami Disaster: From the Selection of News Sources to the Production Process

Abstract

Journalists had to deal with varying information from government entities with power in the disaster sector when covering the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami. Indonesian catastrophe journalism now faces new difficulties as a result of unequal and shifting information. This is especially true when it comes to respecting the rule that information should be presented quickly and accurately in order to mitigate disasters. This study aims to learn more about the journalism practices at KompasTV, CNN Indonesia, MetroTV, and Trans7 in the news production process as well as how journalists select news sources in emergency situations, particularly when a tsunami strikes the Sunda Strait. According to this study's findings, Indonesia's four top mass media outlets place a high value on issues including validating catastrophe information, upholding a journalistic code of ethics, and the skill of journalists covering disasters. Journalists rely on and trust information obtained from government organizations with power over disasters and other mass media. Because it is impossible to ensure the accuracy of the material posted on social media, journalists avoid and do not utilize it.