This paper explores collaborative engagement models between activists and journalists as part of civil society in post-authoritarian Indonesia. Using a Gramscian approach, it takes the case of The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), which recorded 115 agrarian conflicts related to National Strategic Projects (PSN) in Indonesia from 2020-2023, prompting grassroots resistance movements across regions. While studies have shown that the resistance lacked significant and lasting impact, some forms show strategic and tactical alliances were formed with potential long-term engagement. Based on grounded research, we focus on three cities–Padang, Bandung, and Semarang–hosting such alliances between activists and independent media. Our finding indicates a spectrum of partnership outcomes, from collaborative investigative reports to a cross-community and grassroots organizational campaign network. We argue that explaining variations and the formation of local movements could enrich our understanding of how democratic struggles take shape in context.

Keywords: Indonesia; civil society; activism; journalism; movement.