Carlos Margondo Pardede, who is familiarly called Carlos, is one of the alumni of the Postgraduate Communication Science FISIP UI who has made a name for himself in the world of Indonesian journalism. With 22 years of ups and downs, Carlos has now reached the pinnacle of his career as a Principal Journalist at one of Indonesia’s leading television channels, Surya Citra Televisi Indonesia (SCTV). As the News Executive Producer of Liputan 6 Pagi, Carlos enthusiastically shares his career journey through the world of journalism and the exciting story of his lectures with the Postgraduate of Communication Science FISIP UI.
Realizing his interest and potential from the start became Carlos’ strength to pursue his dreams and become an expert in his field. With a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Carlos shared his initial aspirations of becoming a Diplomat. But in the process, being immersed in the world of journalism seems to have been a blessing for Carlos. “It turns out that being a journalist means more traveling and having experienced the Indonesian Embassy in various countries, even staying at the Embassy guesthouse,” Carlos said.
Carlos expressed his love for journalism through his favorite TV show, “World In The News.” He expressed this TVRI station as a representation of his passion in seeing the world and the news. He began his career in electronic journalism on Radio in 2002. Starting out as an anchor and reporter, Carlos rose to become a producer and coverage coordinator at Radio Jakarta News FM 97.5. Since then, his love for journalism has only grown and in 2004, Carlos made his debut as a news reporter in television journalism.
Traveling to new places and meeting new people is both his passion and his current job. “Do what you love, and do it often,” Carlos said of his seriousness in journalism. Having been his goal for a long time, Carlos finally continued his education at the Postgraduate Communication Science FISIP UI in 2017 in the midst of his busy schedule. “It has to be at the Number One University in this country, with majors that are in line with my profession,” was Carlos’ consideration to set his heart on his beloved Yellow Jacket University. This seriousness also paid off with the Smart Journalist Scholarship from BRI that Carlos received during his studies. His activity as Class Leader did not stop Carlos from continuing to develop his knowledge through the Student Exchange program to Oslo, Norway. His participation in the Spring Course: Safety Journalists, and SKUP Conference: Free and Investigative Press in Oslo were golden opportunities that Carlos did not miss during his time as a Communication Management student.
Media Perspectives and Studies was one of Carlos’ favorite courses during college. “Media is my daily food because I have been involved in practitioners, but because I have never studied mass communication before, this course helps me to explore theoretically so that my experience and education are synchronized.” In addition, Carlos also takes elective courses that he calls digital to support his personal and career capabilities, such as Digital Media and Political Power Dynamics, and Digital Marketing Planning and Strategy. Dedication to work and full attention to family became both a challenge and an encouragement for Carlos to complete his Master’s study. His thesis entitled “Television Journalists’ Interpretation of the Indonesian Television Journalist Code of Ethics: A Study of Liputan 6 SCTV Journalists as Product Endorsers on Instagram” successfully led Carlos to graduate from the Graduate Program of Communication Science FISIP UI with satisfactory results.
Carlos also explained his exciting experiences while working in the field of television journalism, some of his coverage on an international scale including the World Cup in Johanesburg, South Africa in 2010, the Olympics in England 2012, the Olympics in Rio De Janiero, Brazil 2016, and the UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters, New York, USA. He admitted that he was enthusiastic about being able to line up with world-class journalists at the grand event. But it’s not all roses, there are also tense coverage experiences that Carlos recounts when he got a sudden call to duty in Papua during the 2006 Bloody Abepura Tragedy. In the midst of the uncontrolled situation, on his way to Jayapura from Abepura, Carlos was subjected to roadblocks and checks as he tried to pass. He received unpleasant treatment at gunpoint with a long barrel right on the head. Thanks to the pass that he had and later communicated to the authorities, Carlos was able to escape and make this experience the most memorable of his life.
Making a positive impact on others, being useful, educating, reminding, enlightening, and carrying out basic duties as a journalist are the mantras Carlos has adopted instead of dreaming big to change the world. Through the ups and downs of his career as a journalist, Carlos has a life motto, “Carpe Diem” which means Seize the Day. “Enjoy life while you can, wherever, however, and with whomever.”
(GLS)
