Media outlets traditionally use comics only to complement their existing content. Jurnaliskomik, an media initiative in Indonesia, is turning this on its head, leveraging comics as its primary way to report.
“Comics are usually only used as a complement, and even then they only fill the end or a few pages in the newspaper,” said Jurnaliskomik’s founder, Hasbi Ilman Hakim.
Jurnaliskomik was founded in 2016, as the comic industry in Indonesia was experiencing a revival after being supplanted by Japanese, American and European comics in the 1980s. There was no outlet in Indonesia, however, that used comics as a primary means of reporting.
A skilled artist in love with the world of comics since he was a teenager, Hakim began early in his career to produce comics inspired by real stories happening around him. These were distributed in the form of zines to campuses in Bandung City, West Java. “It was only in 2018 that we started uploading our works on our website and social media channels,” he said.
The audience’s response to the comics was positive, Hakim found. Drawn to the attractive images with striking color choices and a human-centered storylines, readers — primarily tech-savvy young people — spread Jurnaliskomik’s content on websites, Instagram and Twitter.
“Essentially, we want to create works that have an impact on the public, can be consumed by various groups and presented in a creative way,” said Hakim.
Reporting human-centered stories
Comics offer a compelling way for journalists to engage readers, helping them better understand complex issues and events, Hakim believes. Long-form stories, for instance, can be summarized using visuals and short texts without taking away from the message the writer is trying to convey.
Jurnaliskomik often spotlights the stories of marginalized people and communities. One comic, “Guarding the Morgue,” highlights the role of healthcare workers during the worsening COVID-19 epidemic. Another report, titled “Compassion in the Wilderness of Jakarta,” tells the story of a woman’s efforts to save a child who is a victim of domestic violence. In “A New Life on the Island of Prisons,” the comic portrays the life of a family in Nusakambangan, an island where the highest security prison complex in Indonesia is located.
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