Narratives of Justice in Collaborative Journalism: A Study of Reporting on Agrarian Conflict in Pulau Laut

Abstract: In the context of the growing popularity of collaborative investigative journalism in Indonesia since the emergence of consortia such as Indonesia Leaks, understanding remains limited regarding how structural issues like agrarian conflicts are represented through this reporting model. Agrarian conflicts are often dominated by political-economic power narratives, leaving the voices of vulnerable residents marginalized. This study aims to analyze how agrarian conflicts on Pulau Laut, South Kalimantan—marked by land grabs for palm oil by corporations and the state—are framed in collaborative coverage by five media organizations (Independen, Jaring, KBR, Project Multatuli, and Suara) within the Indonesia Leaks consortium. The research question is: how are these frames constructed, and to what extent do collaborative practices challenge elite narrative dominance?This qualitative study applies deductive and inductive framing analysis to news articles. The findings identify five dominant frames: morality (moral injustice), economic (residents’ economic losses), impact (social-environmental consequences), action (calls for resident action), and power-structure (structural critique of state-corporate collusion). The coverage not only highlights residents’ suffering but also uncovers abuses of power through official documents, portraying residents as active agents. Collaborative reporting demonstrates a commitment to journalistic ethics through process transparency, cross-verification, and engagement with diverse sources. The study affirms the role of collaborative journalism in strengthening narratives of justice and human rights, and resisting elite narrative hegemony in uneven democracies. Implications for journalism practice: this model should be replicated for similar structural issues, supported by journalist protection policies to ensure sustainability. 

Published in Jurnal HAM in December 2025