A History of Australian Journalism in Indonesia

Ross Tapsell

Research program: Australia in the Asia-Pacific

This research aims to contribute to the field of Journalism History by focusing on Australian foreign correspondents based in Indonesia. Over the past 60 years, the relations between Indonesia and Australia have been the subject of much discussion, and the Australian press has increasingly been accused of disrupting otherwise positive bilateral relations. This research shall explore the changing nature of Australian journalism in Indonesia since WWII and attempt to explain how Australian journalists have been received in Indonesia. By documenting the workings of Australian journalists in Indonesia, we can better understand Australia's perception of its neaest neighbour, and examine various constraints correspondents have come across in the process of foreign news reporting.