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Who Masterminded the 1998 Mass Rape in Indonesia and How Has the Media Reported It?
By Arpan Rachman
Following a recent controversy over an official’s denial of a 1998 mass rape in Indonesia, Arpan Rachman conducts his own analysis of how three mainstream Indonesian media outlets have reported on the case and issue in recent years.
Indonesia’s last authoritarian chapter collapsed in May 1998 amid the thunderous roar of rebellion. Jakarta and some other cities became chaotic canvases, marked by the flames of burning malls and the cries of those trapped inside as the country’s fury boiled over. More than 1,200 lives were lost in the pandemonium.
The systematic rape of ethnic Chinese women left scars that still haunt the nation’s memory. In the end, the walls of the Suharto regime’s power, unyielding for 32 years, crumbled beneath this tidal wave of unrest.
According to a Human Rights Watch report, statements ...Read more
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Citizen info (formerly known as InfoFacto) is a youth-centred media literacy platform helping adolescents assess digital content, engage with diverse perspectives, and navigate AI-driven misinformation. The project deepens critical inquiry skills and digital resilience, helping young people navigate rapidly evolving media environments—particularly social media, where misinformation... Read more
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Media Diversity Institute (MDI) works internationally to encourage accurate and nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnic, class, age, disability, gender and sexual identity issues in media landscapes around the world.
While our work is grounded in the principles of freedom of expression and values of diversity and inclusion, our day-to-day work focuses on cultivating practical skills to combat negative stereotypes and disinformation, improve media and information literacy, and influence the conversation on diversity and the media.
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Where We Stand: Gender, Language and the Politics of Hate 23 February 2026 | BELvue Museum, Brussels
A one-day symposium bringing together researchers, journalists, civil society organisations and policy experts to examine how gendered hate spreads through language, media and political discourse — and how communities resist it.
Keynote speaker Shada Islam, acclaimed journalist and MDIG board member, led a programme of six panels exploring hate speech, online radicalisation, platform responsibility and European regulation. The event was organised as the closing event of the EU-funded CHASE project, with support from the King Baudouin Foundation.
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Media Diversity Institute gathers the latest guidelines, studies and other resources to help journalists, academics and civil society activists integrate a diversity perspective into their work.
The Truth Frontline: Reporting War Crimes in the Age of Disinformation
Journalists and fact-checkers are invited to participate in an online training course “Learning to Counter Disinformation”, offered by The Reckoning …
Local News Matters: New Pathways for Sustainability and Community-Powe...
4 MAY 2026, BELvue Museum, Brussels Register Join Us for a One‑Day Conference Shaping the Future of Local Media in …
Engaging With the Next Generation: Youth, Media, and the Public Sphere
International Journalism Festival 2026 | Perugia – Side event Register here MDI Global is heading to Perugia for the International …
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Diversity Matters is a podcast exploring why diversity matters—especially in media—at a time when it’s under attack globally. Informative and provocative, it dives into representation, inclusion, and media policies, bringing together diverse voices for critical discussions. A Media Diversity Institute production, the monthly podcast promotes accurate, nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnicity, class, age, disability, gender, and identity in global media.
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