Kominfo Wants To Arrange Social Media Ecosystem In Publisher Rights Regulations

Menkominfo Johnny G Plate (doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) will coordinate with social media institutions and platforms in drafting regulations regarding the rights of media managers (Publisher Rights). This is done to support technological advances and digitization to make the coverage of the press and media wider.

Minister Johnny said he would continue to support related working partners, including the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the Press Council, media industry players and associations, and the media ecosystem as a whole.

"The Ministry of Communication and Information will continue to coordinate with other ministries, other institutions, to formulate various regulations in response to demands for digital developments or advances, such as plans or discourses or thoughts regarding regulations regarding publisher rights," said Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G Plate. , in the National Mass Media Convention, commemoration of National Press Day, Monday, 8 February.

"We are also always open to providing space for discussion, in order to create an ecosystem for the mass media and Indonesian press that is inclusive, positive, sustainable, and ready for our readyness to face this increasingly competitive digital era," said the Minister of Communication and Information.

The Head of the Inter-Agency and International Relations Commission of the Press Council, Agus Sudibyo, explained that Pubilsher Rights are the rights of media managers related to the private aggregation process, which has the spirit to regulate, reduce excessive monopoly from digital platforms.

According to Agus, state intervention is needed not to fight digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook, but to make the technology giant not create an excessive monopoly on the concentration of the economy.

"If the media die because of their own mistakes, there is nothing we can do, but if the media die because the system is not supportive, very monopolistic, it must have intervention from the state," said Agus.

"Again, not to fight platforms but to make them grounded, in the sense of being a manageable force, that can be controlled and allow competition," he continued.

Because, continued Agus, without competition, there will be monopoly, and will have an impact on many things, including affecting the public sphere to democracy.

Agus sees a chain of problems, ranging from monetization of news without adequate economic compensation, abandonment of copyright on journalistic works, closed digital platform algorithm systems, user data monopoly, content distribution monopoly, digital advertising monopoly, which leads to unfair business competition.

"This chain of problems has caused unfair business competition in the media sector," said Agus.

Publisher Rights, according to Agus, will accommodate these problems by regulating copyright of journalistic works, transparency of algorithmic or data systems, and control of monopoly on distribution of digital content or advertising.

"In principle, the content sharing that has occurred between the platform and the publisher must generate revenue sharing, data sharing, liability sharing, which is transparent and fair. So, the coexistence between old media and new media between the publisher and the platform can actually be realized," he said. Agus.

In this matter, the central board of the Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI), Anthony Wonsono, hopes that the government can bridge and facilitate between the platform and the media.

"We also hope that the government can help ensure accountability for content distributed by all players, not only the media but also the platforms," said Anthony.