Jakarta, May 20, 2026 – The Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency discussed strengthening the capacity of professional photographers together with Pewarta Foto Indonesia (PFI). Minister for Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, also highlighted the expansion of financing access and support for Indonesian photojournalism works to penetrate global-level exhibitions.
Minister for Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, received an audience with Pewarta Foto Indonesia (PFI) at the Ministry of Creative Economy Office, Jakarta, on Wednesday (20/5/2026).
“The role of the Ministry of Creative Economy in the photography subsector is part of strengthening Indonesia’s creative economy ecosystem. It is not only about visual works, but also about how skills and creativity connected to intellectual property can grow into a force capable of creating quality employment opportunities and expanding investment contributions from the photography subsector,” said the Minister during the audience at the Ministry of Creative Economy Office in Jakarta on Wednesday (20/5).
The Minister also highlighted the important position of the photography subsector within the creative industry chain, emphasizing that photography is not merely a medium for documentation and journalistic work, but also holds economic value through cross-sector collaboration development. This has previously been demonstrated by the Ministry of Creative Economy through the Directorate of Publishing and Photography, which has encouraged the advancement of the photography subsector through two activities.
Dok. Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
The first was the provision of exhibition facilities for the Rekam Jakarta photo exhibition at Cemara 6 Gallery Menteng in August 2025. The second was the Ministry’s attendance at the opening of the One Decade of PFI Bogor photo exhibition in September 2025.
“The Ministry of Creative Economy is ready to further collaborate with PFI so that the best photography talents from various regions can advance to the national level and eventually break into international exhibitions. Through collaboration, we can curate high-quality works, strengthen the ecosystem, and ensure that the photography subsector receives concrete support in the development of the creative economy,” said the Minister.
On the same occasion, PFI Chairman Dwi Pambudo expressed positive impressions regarding the ongoing synergy between the Ministry of Creative Economy and PFI. According to him, government support serves as a strategic step to expand the role of photojournalists, both in enhancing capacity and professionalism as well as in developing the photojournalism ecosystem.
Dok. Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
“Pewarta Foto Indonesia has made extensive contributions in developing journalistic photography works that support the advancement of the photography subsector nationally and enable it to compete globally. This is carried out through sustainable and integrated creative economy strengthening, as our works have received recognition from prestigious events such as the World Press Photo,” said Dwi Pambudo.
The organization was declared on March 22, 1992, under the name Focus, and through the initiative of print media photojournalists in Jakarta on December 18, 1998, it evolved into Pewarta Foto Indonesia (PFI). PFI currently has approximately 800 members across 21 cities in Indonesia, ranging from Aceh to Timika.
“The Minister for Creative Economy has opened a new horizon for photojournalists, where many initiatives can be collaborated on to build a stronger ecosystem for photojournalism in Indonesia. Moving forward, we hope that national-scale exhibitions or competitions dedicated to photography can be realized,” added Dwi Pambudo.
Dok. Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
During the meeting, the Minister was accompanied by Director of Publishing and Photography Iman Santosa, Head of Bureau for Communication Kiagoos Irvan Faisal, Expert Staff to the Minister for Media Affairs Rocklin Aprilius Anderson, and Expert Staff to the Minister for Public Opinion and Media Monitoring Hasbil Mustaqim Lubis. Also present were PFI representatives including Secretary General Galih Pradipta and members from PFI Bogor, Tangerang, and Jakarta.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
