JMSI Percaya General Chair, Freedom of Information and Digital Revolution Can Be a Locomotive for Development

The Chairman of the Indonesian Cyber Media Network (JMSI) Dr. Teguh Santosa appointed the South Sumatra JMSI Regional Board at the South Sumatra Provincial Government Bina Praja Building in Palembang, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (IST)

PALEMBANG - The 'Londo Ireng' issue which is currently viral and causing controversy among the Indonesian people has a special place in the speech of the Chairman of the Indonesian Cyber Media Network (JMSI) Dr. Teguh Santosa when appointing the South Sumatra JMSI Regional Manager at the South Sumatra Provincial Government Bina Praja Building in Palembang, Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

The inauguration was attended by the Governor's Expert Staff for Government, Law, and Politics, Panji Cahyanto, representing the Governor of South Sumatra Herman Deru, as well as elements of the South Sumatra Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) and the South Sumatra press community.

Teguh said, if you really pay attention, in his statement Prabowo did not mention journalists or journalists, observers, and NGOs as 'Londo Ireng'. Prabowo merely reminded that there are 'Londo Ireng' who use the profession of journalists, observers, and NGOs as a cover or mask.

"Later please watch again. But President Prabowo defines 'Londo Ireng' as Indonesian people who are happy to serve and serve other nations. And ('Londo Ireng') now wears another shirt, (such as) journalists, journalists, observers, and NGOs," said Teguh.

"The President did not say that journalists, observers, and NGOs are 'Londo Ireng'. The President's message is: there are 'Londo Ireng' who use our profession, or become observers, or become NGO activists," said Teguh, who is also a lecturer in International Relations at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN), Jakarta.

Before touching on the issue of 'Londo Ireng' to the Chairman of the JMSI South Sumatra Pengda, Firdaus Komar, who had just been inaugurated, Teguh reminded the two main tasks of the JMSI South Sumatra Pengda.

The first task is to ensure that media companies in South Sumatra who are members of JMSI have healthy, professional, independent business capacity and management, so that they can support employees.

"Only with this ability, he said again, JMSI members can carry out the second task, namely producing good quality press work," he said.

"Good quality is not just neat in terms of writing, not just following the Code of Ethics for Journalists. But it must also be accompanied by a strong willingness to really cater to the reading community. Please try to ensure that the press work produced by JMSI members is not trapped in click bait alone that relies on dramatic titles or simply follows the trending issue," said the former member of the PWI Central Honorary Council.

According to him, JMSI members are required to present a complete narrative and not just follow the current information that is being widely discussed or fear of missing out (FOMO).

"Don't be afraid, don't worry about being unusual, to be something different from the mainstream. In fact, we are trying to create a mainstream, not to follow the wrong mainstream," said Teguh again.

Closing his remarks, the member of the International Relations and Cooperation Institute (LHKI) of the PP Muhammadiyah said he believed and believed that if JMSI was serious about fulfilling its mandate, then freedom of information and digital revolution in Indonesia could become a locomotive for national development as in many countries that decades ago were one level with Indonesia.

"Freedom of information and technological progress do not make them regress or regress," said Teguh.