Accepting General Chairperson And Central PWI Management, MPR Chair Encourages Competency Improvement And Professionality Of Journalists

To the Chairman of PWI Hndry Cha Bangun and his staff, Bamsang Soesatyo encourages increased competence and professionalism of journalists. (IST)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the MPR RI, Bambang Soesatyo, is pushing for increased competence and professionalism of Indonesian journalists. Bamsoet, who is also a journalist, emphasized the importance of maintaining the conduciveness and solidity of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) to strengthen the national spirit. According to him, one way is to enforce the journalistic code of ethics, so that the news presented is always based on responsibility, not just looking for sensations.

"Pers must uphold the principle that presenting facts is more important than just looking for a stir. The Press must also act as a 'watchdog' in order to keep the democratic climate conducive, not undermine it," said Bamsoet after receiving the General Chairperson of PWI, Hendry Ch Bangun, and other administrators at the official residence of the Chairman of the MPR, Widya Chandra, Jakarta, Monday 26 August.

Present at the meeting were the Secretary General of PWI Iqbal Irsyad, General Treasurer M. Nasir, and the Head of Assets, Untung Kurniadi.

Bamsoet appreciated the efforts of the Central PWI in conducting education and competency tests for journalists to increase professionalism throughout Indonesia. Since December 2023, PWI has held this activity in 20 provinces.

"The MPR RI in collaboration with the Parliamentary Journalists Coordinator (KWP), PWI, and PWI Jaya have also held a journalist competency test (UKW) for KWP journalists. The first batch of UKW was attended by 32 participants, with 30 participants at the young journalists level and 2 participants at the main journalist level," explained Bamsoet.

Bamsoet emphasized the importance of UKW based on Press Council Regulation Number 1 of 2010 which was updated with Regulation Number 4 of 2017. UKW aims to improve the quality of journalists, become a reference for evaluating performance, upholding press freedom, maintaining professional dignity, preventing professional abuse, and placing journalists in strategic positions in the media industry.

"By participating in UKW, journalists can improve skills and compete with buzzers and hoax spreaders who are active in the mass media. The media's ability to present accurate, objective, and balanced information will create information literate people," concluded Bamsoet meeting with the General Chairperson of the Central PWI and his staff.