Puan Hopes Mass Media On National Press Day Continues To Maintain Democracy

Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, was interviewed by the mass media (Between).

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, hopes that the mass media in the momentum of the National Press Day which is commemorated every February 9 will continue to maintain democracy in Indonesia, namely by supervising the running of government and people's sovereignty.

"Happy National Press Day 2025. Mass media and members of the press must not forget their role as supervisors of the running of government and as guardians of people's sovereignty," said Puan in a statement received in Jakarta, Sunday.

Puan appreciated the role of the mass media and press personnel, especially in the 2024 election stage from the presidential election, legislative member elections, to regional head elections.

He admitted that the press was one of the factors in the success of the election, but Puan reminded that the press task did not stop until the democratic party was over.

"In addition to being tasked with overseeing the policies of state stakeholders, the media and the press must also be able to provide space for underrepresented voices, including minorities, marginal groups, and those who are often lagging behind," he said.

Puan also appreciated the hard work of journalists who have always struggled in the midst of the swift flow of information. The progress of the digital era demands that the mass media and press personnel be more careful in producing news.

"A lot of information is free to roam, so data verification is very important so that people avoid news that is not true," he said.

On the other hand, Puan highlights today's press challenges. Not a few mass media have gone out of business and have been laid off against reliable press people in recent years.

Therefore, Puan invites the public to support the existence of the national press.

"People play a role in supporting the presence of competent and quality national press. Including by subscribing to mass media products that have proven to have good journalism traditions," he said.