Rivan Dwiastono
Storyteller
For over a decade, I've been telling impactful stories across video, audio, and written platforms as a journalist. I've sharpened my craft in videography, video editing, writing, and audio storytelling through work with diverse organizations—from global newsrooms like VOA and BBC to Indonesia’s leading digital media startup, Kumparan.My work has earned recognition from international institutions, including a nomination for Best Journalistic Report on Children by AJI (Independent Journalist Association) and UNICEF in 2020, as well as a shortlist placement in the Social Justice category at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.Here's some of my work.
Rivan Dwiastono
Producer | Reporter | Video Editor
Cameraperson | Talent
TV Reporting and Video Content
Exposing "Exes' Secrets" (Short Documentary)
Voice of America (VOA)
Shortlisted in the Social Justice category at the 2025 New York Festivals TV and Film Awards
My roles: Producer, Camera, Video Editing, Translation
Presented in English
July, 2024An Indonesian content creator helped expose the distribution of non-consensual intimate images and alleged deepfake pornography on the Exes’ Secrets Telegram channel, in hopes to spur a police investigation. The channel has since disappeared, but new ones have popped up in its place.
Child marriages in Sulawesi: “Give me a school diploma, not a marriage certificate” (Long-form Digital Video)
BBC News Indonesia
Nominated for Best Journalistic Report on Children at the 2020 AJI and UNICEF Awards
My role: Producer
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: Pernikahan anak di Sulawesi: “Berikan ijazah, jangan buku nikah”
July, 2019Child marriage remains prevalent in Pangkajene and Kepulauan (Pangkep), South Sulawesi, particularly in Mattiro Uleng Village. In this area, the practice is considered common and has been passed down through generations. According to UNICEF, child marriage is a serious violation of children's rights, especially girls. The practice can limit access to education, impact health, reduce income opportunities, compromise safety, and hinder a child’s future potential.
Fires Causing Poisonous Smog (TV Package)
BBC Newsday
My role: Field Reporter
Presented in English
September, 2019Thousands of forest fires are sending thick smoke across the region. Most of the fires are being started to clear land for plantations. The haze is causing health problems for local residents and wildlife, as Rivan Dwiastono reports from Kalimantan.
Indonesia Fires and Haze (TV Live on Tape Report)
BBC Newsday
My role: Field Reporter
Presented in English
September, 2019Indonesia is stepping up its response to thousands of forest fires on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. These fires are sending thick smoke across the whole region. The army has been deployed to tackle the blazes, which have led to thousands of people receiving hospital treatment for smoke inhalation. BBC's Rivan Dwiastono has sent this report from Palangkaraya, in the island of Borneo.
Content creator focused on halal restaurants in the U.S. (TV Package)
VOA Indonesia
My roles: Producer, Video Editing, Translation, Talent
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: Kreator Konten Restoran Halal di Amerika
March, 2025As the Muslim population continues to grow in the United States, halal businesses and restaurants are becoming increasingly widespread. A content creator in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is seizing this opportunity to introduce these eateries to a wider audience through Instagram.
Waiting for Jakarta to Sink (Long-form Digital Video)
Kumparan
My roles: Producer, Video Editing, Scriptwriting
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: Menanti Jakarta Tenggelam
October, 2018The impact of global warming is nearing its peak in Jakarta, as rising sea levels slowly flood the city’s northern coastline. This is worsened by a groundwater crisis plaguing the capital. The land is sinking rapidly—creating the perfect storm: Jakarta’s potential submersion.
What’s Up with the White House: U.S. Federal Employees Required to Show Vaccination Status (Social Media Explainer)
VOA Indonesia
My roles: Producer, Video Editing, Scriptwriting, Talent
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: Ada Apa dengan White House: Pegawai Federal AS Wajib Tunjukkan Status Vaksinasi
August, 2021Amid a surge in Delta variant COVID-19 cases and slowing vaccination rates in the U.S., President Joe Biden is requiring federal employees to show their vaccination status. So, how are people responding?
Waiting for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Results (TV Live Report)
VOA Indonesia
My role: Field Reporter
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: Menunggu Hasil Penghitungan Suara Pemilu Amerika 2024
November, 2024Polling stations across the United States have closed, and Americans are anxiously waiting to find out who will win the 2024 U.S. Election: former President Donald Trump or current Vice President Kamala Harris. VOA reporter Rivan Dwiastono reports from the Trump Headquarter in West Palm Beach, Florida, where candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech tonight local time.
VOA Live: President Trump’s State Address to a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress (Special Programming)
VOA Indonesia
My role: Host
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: VOA Live: Pidato Kenegaraan Presiden Trump di Sidang Gabungan Kongres Amerika Serikat
March, 2025President Trump is set to deliver his first speech of his second term before a Joint Session of the United States Congress on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
Satu Indonesia – Special Episode: Hanging Out at the Mall with President Jokowi (Talk Show)
NET TV
My role: Producer
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: Satu Indonesia – Spesial Jalan ke Mal bareng Presiden Jokowi
October, 2017During his working visit to Lombok on October 19, 2017, President Joko Widodo took the time to greet locals at a mall in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. Wearing a sarong, the President chatted with Rahma Hayuningdyah and the 1Indonesia team about his daughter Kahiyang Ayu’s upcoming wedding, as well as the 2019 presidential election.
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Rivan Dwiastono
Radio Broadcaster | Audio Editor | Podcast Producer
Podcasts and Radio Reporting
BTS Gedung Putih: Arab, Muslim Voters and Grassroots in Michigan (Podcast)
VOA Indonesia
My roles: Producer, Co-host
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: BTS Gedung Putih: Pemilih Arab Muslim dan Akar Rumput di Michigan
November, 2024Patsy and Rivan met with voters in Michigan, one of the key battleground states in the U.S. presidential election. They spoke with Arab and Muslim American voters about how the Gaza issue is influencing their choices, as well as grassroots movements working to support either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
ICYMI: Is Indonesia Ready for the Era of AI? (Podcast)
VOA Indonesia
My roles: Producer, Host
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: ICYMI: Siapkah Indonesia Hadapi Era AI?
February, 2025Amid the exponential growth of AI, is Indonesia ready to embrace the era of artificial intelligence? Rivan Dwiastono discusses the issue with Bangkit Adhi Wiguna, researcher at the Center for Digital Society (CfDS), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, and Hana Baiq Susanti, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Center Indonesia (AiCI).
ICYMI: Bijak Memilih: A Movement to Counter Identity Politics in the Election” (Podcast)
VOA Indonesia
My roles: Producer, Host
Presented in Indonesian
Original title: ICYMI: Bijak Memilih: A Movement to Counter Identity Politics in the Election”
June, 2023Rivan Dwiastono sat down with the two co-founders of the “Bijak Memilih” (Choose Wisely) movement, Andhyta Firselly Utami (Afu) and Abigail Limuria, to discuss the initiative they created—one that aims to promote elections free from identity politics, focusing instead on issues and ideas.
VOA This Morning, March 11, 2025 (Radio Show)
VOA Indonesia
My role: Host
Presented in Indonesian
March, 2025Israel has received an invitation to send a delegation to Doha, Qatar, for ceasefire talks on Gaza, while U.S. negotiators meet with Hamas. Meanwhile in Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto held a meeting with a U.S. billionaire and sought advice on the formation of Danantara.
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Rivan Dwiastono
Writer | Copyeditor
Articles
U.S. Steps Down from Leading JETP Indonesia; Experts Express Concern Over Withdrawal
VOA Indonesia
My roles: Reporter, Writer
Written in Indonesian
Original Title: Amerika Tak Lagi Pimpin JETP Indonesia, Pakar Sayangkan Mundurnya AS
February, 2025The U.S. recently stepped down as a co-leader of Indonesia’s JETP, a partnership aimed at accelerating the country’s energy transition. Experts warn that this policy shift by the U.S. could influence other countries, including Indonesia, in continuing their energy transition commitments.
IPEF Trade Pillar Stalls, Jokowi: Indonesia Open to All Partnership
VOA Indonesia
My role: Reporter, Writer
Written in Indonesian
Original Title: Pilar Perdagangan IPEF Gagal Disepakati, Jokowi Katakan Indonesia Terbuka Kerja Sama dengan Siapa Saja
November, 2023The one remaining pillar that failed to reach an agreement was the trade pillar. This marks a setback for the Biden administration, which had hoped to use the APEC Summit to showcase its economic initiative as a sign of the U.S.'s renewed engagement in Asia’s economic landscape—counterbalancing China’s growing trade and economic influence in the region.
AI-Powered Translation Machines to Help Preserve Endangered Local Languages
VOA Indonesia
My roles: Reporter, Writer
Written in Indonesian
Original Title: Mesin Penerjemah Bertenaga AI untuk Selamatkan Bahasa Daerah yang Terancam Punah
November, 2024Imagine a version of ChatGPT that can translate your local language into another regional language you may have never heard of. That’s the kind of AI application currently being developed by Indonesia’s Language Agency—an innovation that earned its creator, Endang Aminudin Aziz, a spot on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in AI.
Sharia-based regional laws in Indonesia: between local wisdom, electoral politics, and threats to populism
BBC News Indonesia
My roles: Reporter, Writer
Written in Indonesian
Original Title: Perda syariah di Indonesia: antara kearifan lokal, politik elektoral dan ancaman terhadap kebhinekaan
August, 2019Sharia-based regional regulations (perda), which are described as containing elements of Islamic legal principles, are seen as a threat to diversity and the values of Pancasila, while at the same time serving as a powerful tool for electoral politics.
Sunda Strait Tsunami: 430 Dead, Krakatau on Alert, Ashfall Reported in Several Areas
BBC News Indonesia
My roles: Reporter, Writer
Written in Indonesian
Original Title: Tsunami Selat Sunda: Korban tewas 430 orang, Krakatau jadi 'siaga', hujan abu di beberapa tempat (Live Updates)
December, 2018As of Thursday (Dec. 27), the death toll has reached 430. Meanwhile, Mount Krakatau continues to erupt and its alert status has been raised to “watch.” Ashfall has been reported in several areas.
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Rivan Dwiastono
Effective Communicator | Team Player
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