Public Craving for Professional Journalism

In the face of global challenges, particularly the digital disruption, the public hopes the media remains to adhere to journalistic values ​​and uphold journalistic professionalism.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG (MYE)

A man buys a newspaper while waiting for a food order at a stall in Pasar Jatinegara, East Jakarta, Sunday (10/10/2021). There are fewer and fewer newspaper buyers so that the newspaper publisher's income drops drastically. The development of digital media is now a challenge for conventional media such as newspapers, tabloids and magazines.

National Press Council chairperson Ninik Rahayu has stated that a professional press media is one that is able to live up to aspects of accuracy, objectivity, impartiality and other valuable aspects promoted in the Journalistic Code of Ethics.

The public’s hopes about a professional press that adheres to the code of ethics were reflected in the recent Kompas survey held to coincide with the 2023 National Press Day. The survey was conducted between 25 Jan. to 4 Feb. 2023 involving 1,202 respondents across Indonesia. It shows the majority of respondents expected the press to be more accurate in new reporting ( 31.3 percent), to be more objective (15.7 percent), and to be more impartial (15.5 percent).

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The respondents came from various backgrounds and range of ages. Taking a closer look at the survey results, concerns about the aspect of information accuracy were voiced more by young respondents (Generation Z and millennials). They are those who spare more time to access news online from social media.

Entering the politically-hyped year, the public is increasingly demanding professionalism of the press. With more and more information and news about the 2024 election rattling media outlets, the public is urging for news balance, especially regarding practical politics.

Pinckey Triputra, a lecturer in communication studies at the University of Indonesia, reminded the media about the importance of keeping on track of journalistic missions. “According to the standards, journalism must be neutral. True partisans are those who lean toward [human] values. So, the media should not favor certain factions. Instead, it must stand on human and democratic values," he said.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG (MYE)

Rahmad (53), a newspaper seller walking around Jatinegara Market, East Jakarta, Sunday (10/10/2021). According to Rahmad, there are fewer and fewer newspaper buyers, so his income is getting smaller.

Hope fulfillment

The public's expectations are a reflection of their concerns about the implementation of the journalistic code of ethics. The Press Council reports show an increase in public’s discontent regarding the performance of the press, with it taking 691 complaints in 2022, compared to 621 in 2021.

The council’s reports also reveal various breaches in the journalistic code of ethics in 2022, such as the media’s pitfalls in fact verifications that led to a conviction of hoaxes or slander. The majority of violations (97 percent) reportedly involved digital media content. This finding appears to be in line with the responses given by young people responding in the Kompas survey regarding the news they access from digital media.

The survey’s results and the Press Council’s reports should prompt self-reflection for the media to immediately step up performance to improve the quality of their journalistic work. This becomes more crucial to pursue given the indications that people are beginning to get fed up with the news to the extent that they keep a distance from it.

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Regarding this case, there are two ways the media can do this. First, the public’s trust in the press can be retained only if all members of the press work professionally. The press should play further its strategic role through compliance with fact verification to tell the truth, being selective in finding source newspersons, being straight in news titling, adopting prudent points of view and restraining the over motivation of clickbait.

Second, the media should disseminate information from trusted news sources. "Dissemination of quality content and news must also be carried out on social media platforms," ​​ Ignatius Haryanto, a lecturer at Multimedia Nusantara University, said.

He said support from the government, the Press Council, and media publishers were urgent to retrieve the public’s trust.

Demands for a professional press should be seen as the public’s hopes that the press will continue to carry out its journalistic work as part of its contribution to the nation's struggles.

(Litbang Kompas)

This article was translated by Musthofid.