Journalistic Style
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Journalistic style prioritizes brevity, clarity, and active verbs to convey information efficiently without unnecessary fluff.
- Use active voice to keep sentences punchy: 'Pemerintah meresmikan jembatan' (The government inaugurated the bridge).
- Avoid redundant words: 'Masyarakat luas' becomes 'Masyarakat'.
- Prioritize the '5W+1H' structure at the start of the paragraph.
Meanings
A specialized register used in Indonesian media characterized by economy of language, directness, and the use of standardized, formal vocabulary.
Economy of Language
Removing unnecessary adjectives and adverbs to maximize information density.
“Harga BBM naik.”
“Polisi menangkap pelaku.”
Active Voice Preference
Using active verbs to create a sense of immediacy and agency.
“Tim SAR mencari korban.”
“Warga menolak penggusuran.”
Standardized Terminology
Using formal Indonesian (Bahasa Baku) as defined by KBBI.
“Bukan 'bikin', tapi 'membuat'.”
“Bukan 'ngomong', tapi 'berbicara'.”
Formal Verb Formation
| Informal | Formal (Journalistic) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bikin | membuat | to make |
| ngomong | berbicara | to speak |
| ambil | mengambil | to take |
| tanya | bertanya | to ask |
| liat | melihat | to see |
| kasih | memberikan | to give |
Formal Replacements
| Informal | Formal |
|---|---|
| tapi | namun |
| terus | selanjutnya |
| karena | sebab |
| tadi | sebelumnya |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + V + O | Pemerintah membangun jalan. |
| Negative | S + tidak + V + O | Pemerintah tidak membangun jalan. |
| Question | Apakah + S + V + O? | Apakah pemerintah membangun jalan? |
| Passive | O + di-V + oleh + S | Jalan dibangun oleh pemerintah. |
| Formal Transition | Namun, + S + V | Namun, proyek tersebut tertunda. |
| Emphasis | S + adalah + N | Ini adalah prioritas utama. |
طیف رسمیت
Harga mengalami kenaikan. (Economic news)
Harga naik. (Economic news)
Harganya naik nih. (Economic news)
Harganya melonjak gila! (Economic news)
Journalistic Style Pillars
Clarity
- Singkat Concise
- Padat Dense
Tone
- Objektif Objective
- Formal Formal
Examples by Level
Saya makan nasi.
I eat rice.
Dia pergi ke pasar.
He goes to the market.
Buku ini bagus.
This book is good.
Kami belajar bahasa.
We study language.
Pemerintah membuat aturan baru.
The government makes a new rule.
Perusahaan menjual produk.
The company sells products.
Polisi menangkap pencuri.
Police catch the thief.
Mahasiswa menulis esai.
Students write an essay.
Namun, kebijakan tersebut belum efektif.
However, that policy is not yet effective.
Warga menuntut transparansi anggaran.
Citizens demand budget transparency.
Ekonomi nasional mengalami pertumbuhan.
The national economy is experiencing growth.
Pihak berwenang menyelidiki kasus ini.
Authorities are investigating this case.
Presiden menekankan pentingnya stabilitas politik.
The President emphasized the importance of political stability.
Data menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan dalam ekspor.
Data shows a significant increase in exports.
Upaya mitigasi bencana terus dilakukan.
Disaster mitigation efforts continue to be carried out.
Keputusan tersebut diambil berdasarkan konsensus.
The decision was taken based on consensus.
Implementasi kebijakan ini memerlukan koordinasi lintas sektoral.
The implementation of this policy requires cross-sectoral coordination.
Analisis mendalam mengungkap disparitas ekonomi yang tajam.
In-depth analysis reveals sharp economic disparities.
Pemerintah berkomitmen mengakselerasi pembangunan infrastruktur.
The government is committed to accelerating infrastructure development.
Fenomena ini mencerminkan dinamika sosial yang kompleks.
This phenomenon reflects complex social dynamics.
Reformasi birokrasi menjadi imperatif bagi efisiensi pelayanan publik.
Bureaucratic reform is an imperative for public service efficiency.
Paradigma pembangunan berkelanjutan menuntut sinergi antar pemangku kepentingan.
The sustainable development paradigm demands synergy between stakeholders.
Krisis ini menguji resiliensi sistem kesehatan nasional.
This crisis tests the resilience of the national health system.
Transparansi fiskal merupakan prasyarat mutlak bagi akuntabilitas.
Fiscal transparency is an absolute prerequisite for accountability.
Easily Confused
Learners often use informal verbs (bikin, kasih) in formal writing.
Both mean 'but', but 'tapi' is strictly for speech.
Learners over-rely on passive voice in Indonesian.
اشتباهات رایج
Aku lagi makan.
Saya sedang makan.
Bikin apa?
Apa yang dibuat?
Sangat bagus sekali.
Bagus.
Dia ngomong.
Dia berbicara.
Tapi saya tidak tahu.
Namun, saya tidak tahu.
Buku itu dibaca saya.
Saya membaca buku itu.
Terus dia pergi.
Selanjutnya, dia pergi.
Yang mana itu penting.
Hal itu penting.
Sangat penting sekali.
Penting.
Dia kasih tahu saya.
Dia memberitahu saya.
Pemerintah melakukan tindakan.
Pemerintah bertindak.
Hal ini dikarenakan oleh.
Hal ini disebabkan oleh.
Sangat luar biasa.
Luar biasa.
Sentence Patterns
Pemerintah ___ (verb) ___ (object).
___ (transition), ___ (subject) ___ (verb).
Data menunjukkan ___ (noun phrase).
___ (subject) berkomitmen untuk ___ (verb).
Real World Usage
Presiden meninjau lokasi bencana.
Bersama ini saya sampaikan laporan.
Penelitian ini menganalisis data.
Perusahaan mengumumkan inovasi baru.
Saya memiliki pengalaman di bidang ini.
Hadirin sekalian, mari kita mulai.
Cut the fluff
No slang
Use active voice
Respect the register
Smart Tips
Replace all 'ng-' verbs with 'me-' equivalents.
Swap it for 'namun' at the start of the sentence.
Use active voice to show agency.
Remove 'sangat' and 'sekali'.
تلفظ
Formal Enunciation
In formal journalistic style, avoid swallowing syllables (e.g., 'baca' not 'ba-ca').
Declarative
Pemerintah meresmikan jembatan ↘
Falling intonation indicates a completed fact.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
K-I-P: Kering (Dry), Informatif (Informative), Padat (Dense).
Visual Association
Imagine a news anchor in a sharp suit, speaking with precise, measured movements. Every word they say is a brick building a wall of facts.
Rhyme
Kata singkat, berita tepat, bahasa formal, pesan hebat.
Story
Budi wanted to report a fire. Instead of saying 'Ada api besar banget di sana!', he wrote 'Kebakaran terjadi di lokasi tersebut'. He kept it professional and clear.
Word Web
چالش
Take a casual text you sent today and rewrite it in 3 sentences using journalistic style.
نکات فرهنگی
Journalistic style is strictly regulated by the 'Dewan Pers' standards.
Universities expect this style for all thesis work.
Official documents use highly formal, passive-heavy structures.
Modern Indonesian journalistic style evolved from the 'Bahasa Indonesia yang Baik dan Benar' movement in the mid-20th century.
Conversation Starters
Bagaimana pendapat Anda tentang kebijakan ekonomi terbaru?
Apa yang terjadi di lokasi kejadian?
Mengapa proyek ini penting?
Bagaimana perkembangan kasus tersebut?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___ saya tidak tahu.
Pemerintah ___ aturan baru.
Find and fix the mistake:
Dia ngomong ke saya.
Buku itu dibaca oleh Budi.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
pemerintah / aturan / menetapkan / baru
'Gue mau pergi ke sana.'
A: Bagaimana proyek ini? B: ___
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercises___ saya tidak tahu.
Pemerintah ___ aturan baru.
Find and fix the mistake:
Dia ngomong ke saya.
Buku itu dibaca oleh Budi.
Bikin -> ?
pemerintah / aturan / menetapkan / baru
'Gue mau pergi ke sana.'
A: Bagaimana proyek ini? B: ___
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
It often obscures the actor and makes sentences longer than necessary.
No, use 'namun' for a professional tone.
They are similar, but academic writing is often more complex.
Read Indonesian news portals like Kompas or Tempo.
Only if it is absolutely necessary for emphasis.
You can use a neutral register, but avoid slang.
Yes, in direct quotes, you should keep the speaker's original tone.
It is a marker of colloquial, spoken Indonesian.
In Other Languages
Estilo periodístico
Spanish has more complex verb conjugations for person.
Style journalistique
French uses more complex relative clauses.
Journalistischer Stil
German syntax is more rigid regarding verb placement.
Kisha-koto
Japanese uses honorifics which Indonesian lacks.
Uslub Sahafi
Arabic has a much deeper diglossia than Indonesian.
Xinwen Wenti
Chinese lacks verb conjugation entirely.
