MEDAN (Indonesia), Feb 9 – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed his concern over the poor situation that the media industry is currently in.
He said the main issue facing the media industry right now is not press freedom, but rather accountable news reporting on social media as well as digital giant algorithms that tend to prioritise the importance of commercial aspects.
“… I would like to say that the media world is not in a good state. I repeat, the media world is not in a good state,” said the president, who is popularly known as Jokowi, when officiating Indonesia’s National Press Day (HPN) 2023, here today.
Observed every Feb 9 in different cities in the country, HPN is celebrated to commemorate the struggle of journalists in Indonesia in building the nation.
“In the past, the main issue of the media world was press freedom. Is the main issue still the same now? I believe it has changed because are we any less free now?” said the Indonesian President.
Jokowi said that the current media comprised all information media that are available in digital form, thus anyone can report the news “freely”.
He said the world is now flooded with news from social media and other digital media, including foreign platforms that generally do not have editorial staff or are controlled by artificial intelligence.
“Digital giant algorithms tend to focus on the importance of the commercial aspects and will only push sensational content,” he said.
Recently, Indonesian Communication and Informatics Ministry’s Public Information and Communication director-general Usman Kansong said the ministry had submitted a draft regulation related to journalistic copyright to Jokowi.
The draft will enable a healthy media business ecosystem to be created through global digital platforms.
Meanwhile, in JAKARTA, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is on a three-day working visit to Indonesia, wished all Indonesian journalists a happy National Press Day 2023.
He said the media serves as an important platform for delivering accurate and up-to-date information to the community.
“I wish a happy National Press Day to all media friends in Indonesia,” Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Plantation and Commodities, told a press conference after a bilateral meeting with Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto.
“The media plays a very important role in delivering the truth and the facts in any situation,” said Fadillah who arrived here with his delegation yesterday.
