Trading Camera Angles for Words

One night in October 2018, a phone call woke up Muhammad Ferri Setiawan, a photojournalist for Harian Solopos. His phone displayed an incoming call from the Managing Editor of Solopos. Ferri quickly grabbed his phone and answered the call.

On the other end, the editor informed him of an urgent assignment: “Pasar Legi is on fire.” Despite having just finished a long day of reporting, Ferri put on his jacket, grabbed his camera, and rode his motorcycle, braving the cold night in Solo.

When he arrived at the scene, the fire was still raging. Ferri swiftly parked his vehicle, took out his camera, and within moments, captured several shots of the market engulfed in flames.

The memory of the Pasar Legi fire still lingers vividly for the 2010 alumnus of the Communication Sciences program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS). Ferri has a deep passion for his work as a journalist. “It's truly my passion,” he said during a virtual interview on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

Ferri didn't own a personal camera. Instead, he regularly used Canon series 5D, 6D, or 7D cameras provided by his office, along with telephoto L-Series 70-200mm lenses and wide-angle L-Series 17-40mm and 10-22mm lenses.

Throughout his career as a photojournalist, Ferri has become accustomed to sudden assignments. He explained that, unlike writers who can review an event through interviews with witnesses after the fact, photojournalists are highly dependent on moments and timing.

Ferri's photo titled Lead Cow in the photo book of Anugerah Pewarta Foto Indonesia 2018.

Our conversation became more interesting when we discussed the threats faced by journalists. Ferri shared one such experience while covering a protest. After capturing photos of the demonstration, he hurried back to the office. He had a strange feeling that something was off.

As he observed his surroundings, Ferri realized that two individuals were following him. He immediately took off, trying to lose them. Once he felt safe, he returned to the office. Later, Ferri discovered that those two people were frontmen of the protest. “Maybe they were worried that the news coverage wouldn’t align with their expectations,” he explained.

Ferri acknowledged that being a journalist comes with its challenges, but he stayed with his stance, seeking a career that brings fulfillment and excitement. “Through my work, I will create, and I will be remembered in history as a journalist,” he affirmed.

For Ferri, the pinnacle of a photojournalist’s career was when a photo conveys a message to the audience without needing additional explanation. He believed that journalistic photos possessed a narrative power that commercial photography lacked. Besides, captions written beneath the photos help reinforce the image's message.

In addition to his work as a reporter, Ferri actively competed in photography contests, including photojournalism competitions. One of the photos he submitted to a competition was of a herd of cows scavenging for food at the Putri Cempo Landfill in Mojosongo, Solo.

In 2018, he registered that photo into the Anugerah Pewarta Foto Indonesia (APFI), a prestigious competition for Indonesian photojournalists. His perseverance paid off when he earned third place in the nature and environment category.

Muhammad Ferri Setiawan holding the APFI Trophy and a book containing the winners' photos.

Muhammad Ferri Setiawan, 32, initially had no intention of pursuing a degree in Communication Sciences. Born in Sukoharjo, Central Java, on June 20, 1992, Ferri originally wanted to study Fine Arts Education. 

Ferri has always enjoyed drawing, and Fine Arts Education seemed like the perfect choice for him, as it allowed him to follow his passion for art while also pursuing a career as a teacher, just like his parents.

Unfortunately, his mother, a biology teacher, didn’t approve of Ferri’s choice. “If you're going to be a teacher, don’t be an art teacher,” Ferri recalled her saying. "I was really excited about it because it matched my passion for drawing," he added.

In the midst of his dilemma, a glimmer of hope appeared when his neighbor, a lecturer at the Faculty of Dentistry at UMS, came up with the idea to enroll in the International Class of Communication Sciences at UMS. “Just give it a try,” his neighbor suggested. So, Ferri became one of the first students in UMS' International Class for Communication Sciences.

Ferri encountered no major difficulties during his studies. While many people feared English, it wasn't a problem for him. In fact, he enjoyed learning languages. His secret? He taught himself English by, for example, watching English movies without reading the subtitles.

Studying Communication gave Ferri unique experiences. He even became a teaching assistant for the “Audio in Media” course, tasked with delivering the material to students. He felt nervous, yes, due to his average public speaking skills. 

“Fortunately, the students were enthusiastic about the material I presented, which helped ease my initial nervousness when my mind suddenly went blank,” he recalled.

His class had only 13 students, but Ferri didn’t let the small number discourage him. He expanded his social circle by befriending students from the university’s photography group, FINIC, and the film club, Kineklub. His friendships in these groups fostered his growing interest in photography during his college years.

In mid-2020, Ferri made a major career shift by becoming a contract worker at the Bengawan Solo River Basin Agency (BBWSBS) under the Directorate General of Water Resources at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR). 

Although he became a contract worker at a government agency, his work remained connected to journalism, as he took on the role of a Journalism Expert Staff under the Public Relations Unit of BBWSBS. His responsibilities expanded to include public relations.

“This job is quite different from my previous one. However, I started applying the communication skills I learned from my studies, one by one,” he explained.

Ferri faced new challenges, such as media and institutional communication, preparing information materials, managing internal and external relations, crisis management, advocacy, education, as well as monitoring and evaluation activities.

Ferri during the visit of the Minister of Public Works and Housing, M. Basuki Hadimuljono, at the Gelanggang Inovasi dan Kreativitas (GIK) building project, at the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) , in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta.

In 2022, Ferri applied for a position as an ASN at the Ministry of PUPR and successfully passed the selection process. He was appointed as a Public Relations Officer at the Regional Settlement Infrastructure Agency of Yogyakarta Special Region (BPPW DIY) under the Directorate General of Human Settlements.

Working at the Ministry of PUPR required Ferri to delve deeper into the technical field. His work was now more focused on writing, with less involvement with cameras. He had to familiarize himself with topics like civil engineering and architecture, which became his daily bread.

Ferri's job involved communicating technical information to the public, drawing on his communication background. He noticed that technical professionals often struggled to convey complex concepts to the public. It became his task to translate technical language into something more easily understood by the masses.

"This is a challenge for me, to transform technical language into something the public can grasp,” Ferri remarked. He immersed himself in various resources, from books to news about infrastructure, to enhance his knowledge.

In his role as a public relations officer in a government institution, Ferri also focused on bridging the communication gap between internal and external parties. He is responsible for managing risk communication and publishing press releases.

Like other public relations officials, Ferri constantly monitored information in both mass media and social media. His aim is to keep track of news related to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) and its subordinate agencies. When negative rumors arise about PUPR, Ferri is responsible for cross-checking the validity of the information circulating. It is also his duty to release clarifications or press statements after verifying the facts.

“There are individuals who often spread negative reports, but it turns out they're from unreliable media,” Ferri added. Thanks to his journalism background, Ferri could easily trace the origins of misinformation spreading in public.

New challenges arose when Ferri had to deal with harsh online criticism, particularly concerning infrastructure projects, which are often sensitive due to the large amounts of government funds involved. Additionally, criticism could be amplified by buzzers, making Ferri and his team work hard to respond to each comment on social media.

As a public face of the institution, public relations officers are required to be flexible in communicating with the public while adhering to a code of ethics. “We always provide responses as a form of government accountability,” he said. “We can't just stay silent when there's negative news.”

Working at BPPW DIY had made Ferri feel that his contributions to the country, through reporting on infrastructure development, are more meaningful. He saw the positive impact of infrastructure on communities, expressing his gratitude for witnessing the benefits that sustainable infrastructure brings to people's lives. “I can feel how grateful people are when they receive infrastructure that improves their livelihoods,” he concluded.

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Designer: Salsabila Kamila Wardah