Several journalists in Batam faced intimidation following the publication of reports regarding a total blackout in Batam, Riau Islands.
The intimidation involved demands to take down or delete news coverage concerning the Batam blackout. The reports had been published on the media outlet BatamNow.com, as well as in posts on the social media account @batambergerak.
Hamansyah Rangkuty, the Managing Editor of Batam Now, stated that the intimidation began at 6:00 AM Western Indonesian Time (WIB) on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
At that time, he received a series of calls from several unknown phone numbers.
Later, at 9:41 AM WIB, another unknown number contacted him via WhatsApp, demanding that the journalists take down or delete the reports regarding the Batam blackout incident.
Yogi Eka Sahputra, Editor-in-Chief of Batambergerak.id, was also contacted via WhatsApp by an unknown number on Wednesday afternoon. The individual claimed to represent an agency and offered an "advertisement"—which was, in fact, a request to remove the news articles in exchange for a payment of IDR 1 million per link.
The individual sent three links to the articles. Two of these were posts shared on the Batambergerak social media account, titled "Blackout Lasts 10 Hours; Hotels in Batam Overrun by Residents Amid Price Hikes," while the third concerned a protest at a data center in the Nongsa area, titled "Where Does the Water Come From to Cool the Data Centers Already Operating in Batam?"
The Editor-in-Chief of Batambergerak.id refused to remove the articles.