Tempo and Gecko Project Win 2026 SOPA Award

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A collaborative investigative report by Tempo and The Gecko Project, alongside several other media outlets, documenting heavy metal pollution in the waters of Obi Island, Halmahera, North Maluku, won the prestigious award for best environmental coverage at The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) for Editorial Excellence 2026 in Hong Kong on Thursday, June 18, 2026. SOPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of journalism.

Tempo's Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Bagja Hidayat, stated that this premier Asian journalistic accolade underscores the media's vital duty to prioritize the public interest. He noted that the coverage of heavy metal pollution around the nickel concession on Obi Island cuts across critical social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

"We raised this pollution issue to remind everyone that social and economic rights are linked with environmental rights. Therefore, this award belongs to those who support quality journalism," Bagja said on Thursday evening, June 18, 2026.

Meanwhile, Alon Aviram, a journalist with The Gecko Project who spearheaded the collaborative initiative, explained that the investigation into Obi Island's environmental degradation revealed that over a decade of mining operations by Harita Nickel has caused carcinogenic chemical substances to leak into local waters. Harita is recognized as one of the largest nickel producers in Indonesia.

Internal testing conducted by Harita itself revealed that these cancer-causing substances had contaminated the drinking water source of a local village. However, the residents were never informed. Publicly, the company insisted that the water was safe. "We also uncovered evidence that Harita had concealed proof of pollution in local fish."

Several studies have detected hazardous levels of heavy metals in fish caught in the local waters, which are among the primary food sources for the community. Despite these findings, the company declared the fish safe for consumption and even altered the narrative of a pivotal study to "soften" its conclusions. Consequently, the villagers continued to consume the contaminated fish, unaware of the health risks they faced.

Winners of the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards for Editorial Excellence 2026 pose after the ceremony at the JW Marriott Hong Kong, Thursday, June 18, 2026. A collaborative report by Tempo, The Gecko Project, and several international media outlets on environmental pollution from nickel mining in Halmahera, North Maluku, won the environmental reporting category. (Doc. SOPA)

In addition to Tempo, this cross-border collaboration involved The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Deutsche Welle, KCIJ Newstapa, and The Guardian. The investigative series can be accessed via the reports titled "Adu Data Pencemaran Laut Obi di Sekitar Konsesi Harita" and "Mobil Bersih, Air Tercemar: Rahasia Beracun Raksasa Nikel."

In a written statement issued following the gala, the SOPA Editorial Committee explained that the accolade was bestowed to recognize and elevate high-impact, inter-media collaborations within a category of reporting that is increasingly attracting global public attention. "We are proud to recognize an exceptional year of journalism across the Asia-Pacific region," said James Wilson, Asia News Editor at the Financial Times and Deputy Chair of the SOPA Editorial Committee.

Wilson noted that for this year's 28th annual SOPA Awards, the committee received over 700 submissions from global, regional, and local media organizations, including works published in Mandarin and Indonesian. "Issues surrounding Chinese politics, its economy, and its regional and global influence were prominent themes among many of this year's winners and finalists," he added.

The SOPA Awards 2026 was overseen by the SOPA Awards Administration Panel, led by veteran journalist Chris Yeung. A total of 115 journalists, retired news professionals, and journalism academics from across the globe participated as volunteer judges this year, with Harry Surjadi serving the panel as the Chairperson of the Jury for the Indonesian language category.

At the ceremony, another Indonesian independent media outlet, Project Multatuli, secured two accolades, capturing the awards for best regional technology coverage and best Indonesian-language reporting for its investigative series exposing the state authority violence in the archipelago.

Read: Tempo's Reader Revenue Strategy Clinches Gold at Digital Media Awards 2026

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