Broadening an overly narrow definition of Islamic journalism, Janet
Steele examines day-to-day reporting practices of Muslim professionals,
from conservative scripturalists to pluralist cosmopolitans, at five
exemplary news organizations in Malaysia and Indonesia. At Sabili,
established as an underground publication, journalists are hired for
their ability at dakwah, or Islamic propagation. At Tempo, a news
magazine banned during the Soeharto regime and considered progressive,
many see their work as a manifestation of worship, but the publication
itself is not considered Islamic. At Harakah, reporters support an
Islamic political party, while at Republika they practice a
"journalism of the Prophet" and see Islam as a market niche. Other news
organizations, too, such as Malaysiakini, employ Muslim journalists.
Steele, a longtime scholar of the region, explores how these
publications observe universal principles of journalism through an
Islamic idiom.