Christ Jacob Belseran has spent the last four years sleeping in village houses, clearing jungle paths with a machete, and documenting what happens when mining companies and government decisions collide with Indigenous life in Indonesia's Maluku islands.
For this work—reporting that some powerful people would prefer stayed hidden—he's been awarded the Oktovianus Pogau Award for courage in journalism by Pantau Foundation, a recognition given to reporters who continue their work despite direct threats and adversity.
Belseran founded Titastory, a local news outlet in Ambon, in 2020 and contributes to Mongabay Indonesia. His reporting tracks how land seizures, forest degradation, and coastal pollution affect Indigenous communities across two regions where forests aren't just resources—they're the foundation of culture and survival. He covers the protests and community demands that some would rather stay invisible.
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What makes Belseran's journalism distinct is that he doesn't report from a distance. He travels by boat and on foot, sleeping where communities welcome him, foraging for food, building small fires to ward off biting insects. He's described this approach as "nomadic journalism"—moving through the landscape as close to the people he's documenting as possible.
The physical hardship is real. But as Belseran has noted, the greater danger comes from people. Pantau recounts a moment in East Halmahera when police tried to prevent him from filming a meeting between an Indigenous community and local officials. The community's response was immediate: they threatened to walk out if the journalist was expelled. That moment captures something essential about his work. A reporter willing to show up, to be present, becomes a witness that communities can rely on—and sometimes, a protection against erasure.
Belseran's award reflects a growing recognition that environmental and Indigenous reporting in Southeast Asia requires not just skill but sustained physical and emotional commitment. His work continues to document the stakes of these conflicts for the people living them.
