Jakarta.  Indonesia’s Journalist Safety Index (IKJ) declined in 2025, signaling growing risks for media workers despite the country remaining in a “somewhat protected” category, according to data released on Monday.

The IKJ score stood at 59.5% this year, down by about 0.9 to 1 point from 2024, reflecting a deterioration in press freedom conditions and journalist safety. The findings were unveiled at the launch of the IKJ 2025 by the Tifa Foundation, the Safe Journalism Consortium, and research firm Populix at Erasmus Huis in Jakarta.

Organizers said the index is intended to serve as a data-driven reference to help prevent violence against journalists and promote safer, more dignified working conditions in the media industry.

Tifa Foundation Executive Director Oslan Purba said the index has been compiled consistently over the past three years and has become an important tool to assess the state of press freedom and journalist safety in Indonesia.

“This index is crucial to ensure journalists can work safely and the public’s right to information is protected,” Oslan said in a statement on Tuesday.

Populix Policy and Society Research Manager Nazmi Tamara said the survey was conducted among 655 active journalists across 38 provinces between November and December 2025. The research also drew on secondary data on violence against journalists collected by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).

In addition to the quantitative survey, Populix carried out in-depth interviews with journalists who had experienced violence to enrich the analysis. About 67% of respondents said they had experienced some form of violence, a steep increase from around 40% in 2024.

The most common forms of abuse were reporting bans and restrictions on coverage. By contrast, cases of physical violence and direct threats were reported to have declined.

Despite the worsening conditions, the survey found that journalists’ awareness of risks and preventive measures improved by around 20 points compared with the previous year, suggesting better preparedness even as threats persist.

The research also pointed to a rise in censorship and self-censorship across the media landscape. About 72% of journalists said they had experienced censorship, while 80% admitted to practicing self-censorship.

These practices were found across platforms and editorial roles, affecting reporters as well as editors-in-chief. The main reasons cited for self-censorship included avoiding conflict, protecting personal safety, and responding to pressure from certain parties.

Arie Mega, a project officer for safe journalism at the Tifa Foundation, said the consortium has mapped areas with high levels of violence against journalists, including Aceh, Palu, and Sorong. Capacity-building efforts, such as safety training, have been rolled out in these regions.

He added that women journalists remain among the most vulnerable groups and often lack safe spaces to report violence or intimidation.

Press Council member Abdul Manan said the IKJ findings should be used by the state as a reference to strengthen legal protections for journalists and prevent their criminalization.

“If censorship and repression are allowed to continue, the public will suffer the most because they lose their right to information,” Manan said.

The report underscores mounting concerns among press freedom advocates that subtle forms of pressure, censorship, and intimidation are increasingly shaping Indonesia’s media environment, even as overt physical attacks show signs of easing.