The Press Is Not Fine

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conveyed important points regarding the current condition of the Indonesian press at the 2023 National Press Day (HPN) Commemoration Event in Medan, North Sumatra. He said that the current state of the press was not fine. The President said this twice with emphasis.

Admittedly, currently, the press is not in good condition. The main issue is no longer about freedom of expression. Even in a very free condition. Everyone can be a journalist through their respective social media. Not to mention AI or Artificial Intelligence. It's not impossible to even write via a machine. Journalists or even humans are no longer needed.

The main issue right now is precisely the flood of information and hoaxes. Today's society is flooded with good news from various mass media and social media, which are made freely and have the main interest on the commercial side, which contains loose change and sensational news content.

With technology and the internet, or also social media, information can be easily disseminated without having to go through a strict verification process. This makes a lot of inaccurate information and can even be harmful to the wider community.

To overcome this problem, a stronger role of the media is needed. The media mentioned previously are mass media that have larger networks and resources, and have higher journalistic standards.

With the media, the public can obtain more accurate and reliable information. The media also has a duty to verify information and filter inaccurate information before conveying it to the public.

Therefore, it is important for the public to trust the media and not be affected by a flood of unreliable information. The media has a very important role to play in maintaining the quality of the information conveyed to the public and preventing the dissemination of information that could harm the public.

In his speech at the highlight of the 2023 National Press Day (HPN) Commemoration Event, President Jokowi also mentioned the issue of data sovereignty and security. Information is a new wealth mine with immeasurable value, so the use of algorithms by data authorities must be guarded. Data authorities can understand people's habits and behavior and control people's preferences through the use of algorithms.

President Jokowi stressed that this must be watched out for and efforts were made to ensure that the media is responsible for providing information and to be wary of irresponsible data control.

On National Press Day 2023, President Jokowi also highlighted the issue of the sustainability of the conventional mass media industry which faces tough challenges. Media financial resources are dwindling because around 60 percent of advertising spending has been consumed by digital media, especially foreign platforms. Although some national press companies have switched to digital media, the dominance of foreign platforms has created difficulties for the national media industry.

In the end, like it or not, it is the shared responsibility of all parties, including the government, media industry, and society, to ensure that the national press develops and functions properly and responsibly. There must be a joint effort to ensure that the national media are healthy so that they can fulfill their functions as guardian of democracy and shapers of public opinion.