90 Percent of Complaints to the Press Council Target Cyber Media, FPRMI Emphasizes the Importance of the Code of Ethics

Chairman of the General Forum of the Editors of Multimedia Indonesia (FPRMI), Bernadus Wilson Lumi. (IST)

YOGYAKARTA - Chairman of the Forum for the Editorial Leadership of Multimedia Indonesia (FPRMI), Bernadus Wilson Lumi, invites all press organizations in Indonesia to strengthen solidarity and build collaboration for the advancement of the national journalistic world. According to him, the press organization should support each other, not bring each other down.

The invitation was conveyed by Bernadus when giving a speech at the Gala Dinner commemorating the 3rd Anniversary of FPRMI which was held at the Ballroom of the Regional Representative of the Republic of Indonesia (PDPR) for Yogyakarta Special Region, Friday (17/7/2026).

"Fellow press organizations should support each other. No one should bring each other down, let alone slander each other," said Bernadus.

He emphasized that the presence of FPRMI was not to compete with other press organizations, but as a partner in strengthening a professional, independent, and responsible press ecosystem.

According to him, inter-institutional collaboration is very needed to improve the quality of human resources in the field of journalism as well as provide education to the public regarding the importance of accurate and balanced information.

"We were born and present not to compete or be competitors. This organization was formed not to bring down other organizations. Let's work together to advance the press, nation, and state of Indonesia," he said.

On that occasion, Bernadus also highlighted the increasing public awareness in using the mechanism for resolving disputes over reporting through the Press Council. He said that throughout 2025, a total of 1,286 complaints were received by the Press Council.

According to him, the high number of complaints shows that the public is increasingly understanding that the Press Council is the right channel to seek justice, clarification, and balance in reporting.

"This indicates that the public is increasingly aware that the path to seeking truth, justice, and balance in reporting is through the Press Council," he said.

However, Bernadus revealed that about 90 percent of the complaints received were directed at cyber media. The majority of complaints are related to alleged violations of the Code of Ethics for Journalists, especially regarding the obligation to confirm and apply the principle of covering both sides.

Therefore, he assessed that the press organization has a great responsibility to continue to improve understanding and implementation of the code of ethics among the press.

"This is a reminder that the press must further increase compliance with the code of ethics in reporting, especially regarding confirmation and the principle of covering both sides. This is our task as a press organization to continue to strengthen the implementation of the code of ethics for journalists," he concluded.