CIMB Niaga Holds SJF Masterclass 2026, 20 Journalists Ready to Drive Sustainability Action

PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk, together with the Indonesian Institute of Journalism (IIJ) and supported by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), held the Sustainability Journalism Fellowship (SJF) Masterclass 2026 at the Bumi CIMB Niaga Learning Centre in Gunung Geulis, Bogor Regency, West Java, from Thursday to Saturday, 25-27 June 2026. This activity is part of the SJF 2026 series which began in early March 2026. The programme was attended by 20 fellowship recipient journalists from various regions in Indonesia, comprising 11 individual category participants and 9 group category participants. The participants hailed from Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau Islands, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali, North Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara. They were selected through a judging process of 233 social and sustainability idea proposals submitted from across Indonesia. Over three days, the participants discussed and learned directly from experts and practitioners in banking, journalism, and sustainability. The material covered included constructive journalism to safeguard public interest, collaboration in mainstreaming sustainability, an introduction to greenwashing and genuine sustainability practices, and strategies for creating more impactful sustainability storytelling. Participants will also undergo a mentoring process with experts and practitioners. After the training, they will receive total funding support of Rp200 million to realise sustainability ideas in their respective areas. CIMB Niaga Director of Compliance, Corporate Affairs & Legal, Fransiska Oei, stated that SJF 2026 is part of CIMB Niaga’s responsibility in building awareness and enhancing the role of journalists in raising sustainability issues. ‘We hope this programme can be a platform for sharing experiences while enriching perspectives in raising sustainability issues. We believe the media can act as changemakers capable of implementing various sustainability programmes,’ said Fransiska. Abdul Manan, Chairman of the Press Council’s Legal and Legislative Commission, who was one of the speakers, emphasised the importance of the journalist’s role as a conveyor of public information. According to him, journalists need to help citizens understand complex sustainability issues, ranging from climate change, biodiversity loss, and renewable energy to pollution. ‘Accurate reporting enables the public to make informed decisions,’ said Abdul Manan. IIJ Executive Director Umar Idris added that SJF 2026 is expected to strengthen journalists’ capacity to produce informative work that simultaneously encourages constructive change. He assessed that sustainability is now not only related to environmental issues but also to the economy, social affairs, governance, and the nation’s future. The programme also featured a number of sustainability leaders and practitioners, including Uni Lubis, Satrya Wibawa, Lany Harijanti, and Robert Basuki Wanasida. Their presence reinforced SJF 2026’s position as a collaborative space to promote more impactful sustainability journalism practices.