Amid abundant information the press is increasingly needed to convey the truth as a pillar to defend facts and the aspiration of the people.
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Kompas/Ismail Zakaria
The peak of this year’s National Press Day celebration.
PADANG, KOMPAS — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said that amid abundant information, the press is increasingly needed to convey the truth as a pillar to defend facts and the aspiration of the people.
“In the past five years, we have heard that mainstream media will be replaced by social media and new media. The mass media, the press, which is known as the fourth pillar of democracy, struggles to compete against social or digital media. However, I believe that in the era of technological development and amid abundant information and misinformation, the press is increasingly needed,” President Jokowi said Friday (9/2) during a National Press Day event in Padang, West Sumatra.
Aside from Jokowi and First Lady Iriana, several ministers and state officials also attended the event, such as House of Representative Speaker Bambang Soesatyo, People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Zulkifli Hasan and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Speaker Oesman Sapta Odang.
Also present were foreign envoys, West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno and his deputy Nasrul Abit, regents and mayors and media leaders. There were also national business players, such as Kompas Gramedia CEO Lilik Oetama, Lippo CEO James Riyadi, Artha Graha Group owner Tomy Winata and Press Companies Union chairman Dahlan Iskan, among others.
Building civilization
The President said the press was needed to build culture and a new civilization, including capturing a society that moves efficiently and quickly, born by the fourth industrial revolution based on digitalization and data analysis capabilities.
The peak event of National Press Day was held on the coast of Padang city, on Padang Beach.
At the event, the President looked relaxed. He invited a journalist to come to the stage and interview him. The President and M. Yousri Noor Raja Agam, who worked as a journalist for 40 years in Surabaya, East Java, then exchanged roles, as the president and the journalist.
“Sir, you have 34 ministers. Which one is the most important?” said the President, who pretended to be a journalist.
Yousri, who played the role as a president, said, “All of them are important.”
The President considered his answer unclear, replying, “Please give a clear answer, sir, don’t maunder,” triggering laughter in the audience.
Yousri then replied: “The one that deals with journalists; the Communications and Information Minister.”
Press Council chief Yosef Adi Prasetyo said that in the current era, the presence of fake news is expanding. As the nation will have concurrent regional elections, it is not impossible that fake news will flourish. The press must respond to this by trying to verify fake news.
“The more important thing is to prevent collusion between the media and politics,” Yosep said.
Yosep said today, Indonesia is among the countries with the largest number of media outlets, with 47,000 platforms comprising 2,000 print media; 674 radios; 523 television stations, including local ones; and 43,000 online media. This indicates that Indonesia is maintaining press freedom, Yosep said.
“The media platform may change, but journalism will still exist. Our duty is to safeguard the nation, including conveying criticism and an independent view,” Yosep added.
Tempo magazine co-founder, Harjoko Trisnadi, 88, who received the Lifetime Award, said the press, particularly conventional media, was facing challenges from online media. Nevertheless, he was optimistic that conventional media, such as print media, would survive, given the fact many people still love reading newspapers and magazines.
As such, journalists must be honest in writing news, including by turning down bribes.
“That proves journalism is a noble profession. Journalists cannot be bought,” Harjoko said.
National Press Day chief organizer Margiono said the theme of this year’s commemoration was “Wooing Beauty in the Field of Prosperity,” focusing on the government, including West Sumatra tourism, which is expected to improve the welfare of its people.
That is why, from 100 events, around 80 percent was held for residents and the rest was for the press.
“National Press Day is an event [that reminds us that] the press works for the people, especially in regions,” Margiono said.
The event also presented the Pioneer Award and Lifetime Award to Kompas Gramedia printing founder and Press Graphic Union executive director Bernard Soedarmara, 80, respectively, among others.
The Adinegoro Press Award was given to Kompas journalist A. Haryo Damardono in the cyber journalism category for his article Promise for Papua. The article was published on kompas.id on March 1, 2017.
