Mediating justice through live courtroom broadcast: a phenomenological study of journalist lived experiences in Indonesian television

Live courtroom broadcasts have extended the principle of open justice into the mediated public sphere in Indonesia. Journalists from TV One function as communicative intermediaries who translate complex legal proceedings into accessible narratives for wider audiences. This study employs a phenomenological approach to explore journalists’ lived experiences in covering high-profile trials. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with six journalists and observation of live broadcast production. The data were analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological method based on Colaizzi's analytical procedure, allowing the identification of significant statements, formulation of meanings, and construction of thematic structures representing journalists’ lived experiences. Findings reveal tensions between the goals of legal education and the dramaturgical demands of live courtroom broadcasting. The study conceptualizes courtroom journalism as a form of mediating justice, where journalists translate legal processes into accessible public knowledge and shape public understanding of law in the Global South.