They Tell the Stories That Make the News

This article shares information about Ceureumen, a newsweekly published in Aceh, Indonesia that aims to inform survivors of the December 2004 tsunami about the reconstruction process. The supplement goes out every other Saturday in Aceh’s main local daily newspaper, Serambi, and is distributed to people displaced by the tsunami, living in camps and barracks. Ceureumen means "mirror" in Acehnese. Tasked with filling the information gap on reconstruction in Aceh, Ceureumen's "bold, pro-poor stance holds both the aid community and government to account." The newsweekly is supported by the Decentralization Support Facility, a multi-donor fund including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (Dfid), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and the Government of Netherlands.

According to the article, Ceureumen's effort to reach out to people doesn't just stop with the paper. The editorial team has been working with Internews, an international non-government organisation, specialising in humanitarian and development journalism. It has produced a regular radio programme on Aceh reconstruction called Peunegah Aceh, broadcast all over Aceh. Once every two weeks, Ceureumen had a 20 minute slot where a live discussion was aired, based on the latest cover story. The programme was halted, but is to resume due to popular demand.

In the past, Ceureumen has examined such issues as housing projects, non-government organisation activities and complaints about corruption. Each issue is designed to focus on a different aspect of reconstruction, and there is a discussion on shifting editorial focus more from reconstruction to peace.