No story Is worth a life: ANTARA steps up journalist safety

 Five journalists and three boat personnel went missing in the Sunda Strait on Sept. 7 while covering Mount Anak Krakatau, prompting ANTARA staff to push for stronger newsroom safety training and protections.

The group set out to cover the volcano on Sept. 7, 2026. By afternoon, their boat had gone silent.

The group included Muhammad Bagus Khoirunnas of ANTARA, Ari Basuki of Merdeka.com, Yudistiro Pranoto of iNEWS, Firdaus Wajidi of Anadolu Agency, freelance journalist Donal Husni, boat captain Warta, crew member Surakman and guide Heriyanto.

The disappearance drew national and international attention. That evening, President Prabowo Subianto ordered Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Muhammad Ali to launch an immediate search for the eight.

Condolences and expressions of concern came from across Indonesia and abroad.

Banten Police Chief Insp. Gen. Hengki visited a National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) post, where Bagus's wife was also present.

Russian Ambassador Sergei Tolchenov sent a letter of sympathy and support for Bagus's family, addressed to Benny Siga Butarbutar, then head of state news agency ANTARA.

Saudi Ambassador Faisal Abdullah Al Amoudi offered prayers for the safe return of the five Indonesian journalists and three boat personnel.

Heroes of the press

ANTARA colleagues organized collective prayers. On Sept. 21, hundreds of journalists in Kalianda, South Lampung District, Lampung Province, gathered at Pancasila Monument, lit 1,000 candles, prayed and reflected.

The joint search ended Sept. 17 without finding the group. Days later, the gatherings and messages of solidarity raised a harder question: how can newsrooms better protect journalists sent into danger?

The Press Council called the five missing journalists heroes of the press. It said the case underscored the need for journalists to coordinate with government officials and local authorities before entering dangerous areas.

Press Council Chairman Komarudin Hidayat said the journalists risked themselves in pursuit of the best images for the public.

Their work, he said, deserved recognition rather than being taken for granted.

"We enjoy photographs but sometimes forget the struggle behind them. This tragedy has made us realize how much effort and sacrifice it takes to capture the best images," Komarudin said on Sept. 21.

He urged news organizations planning coverage in dangerous areas to coordinate with local authorities, saying preparation and communication must be part of the assignment, not an afterthought.

"Media management must also pay close attention to these assignments. When a tragedy like this occurs, the company and its leadership must give special attention to the families left behind," he said.

Turning grief into support

For ANTARA, the message was a call to turn public grief into sustained support for colleagues and families affected.

That began with remembrance and continued with practical training.

On Sept. 21, then-ANTARA News Director Virgandhi Prayudantoro inaugurated the Bagus Khoirunnas Meeting Room at the agency's Banten bureau, commemorating the photojournalist and preserving the memory of his work.

Virgandhi said the dedication showed ANTARA's commitment to Bagus's family.

"We are here today to express our support for M. Bagus's family and honor his dedication during eight years of work and contributions to ANTARA's Banten bureau," he said.

Yet a memorial alone could not address the risks journalists face covering disasters, volcanic 

The tragedy renewed calls to make occupational safety central to newsroom practice.

From the first day the group went missing, journalist safety was discussed constructively in the official WhatsApp group of the ANTARA Workers' Union.