VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 9 - Minister of Communication and Informatics, Johnny G Plate, has asked the press and media to continue to prioritize their main function which is to disseminate information and educate the public.

Speaking at the National Mass Media Convention, held online to mark the 2021 National Press Day (HPN) on Monday, Plate said the current challenge of digitalization should be seen as an opportunity to discharge the noble duties of the press in disseminating information to educate the nation's life.

"None other than this repeatedly and continues to be conveyed in order to educate the nation's life, regardless of the level of competition that continues to be extraordinary, regardless of technological disruption, (and the impact) from COVID-19, the press must still prioritize its main function in educating the nation's life," he stressed.

According to the minister, the changing conditions must be responded to with enthusiasm to move forward by increasing the capacity of the national press, especially for cyber media actors, who can reach the public quickly.

At present, the press is being encouraged to participate in transforming and continuing to adapt to the rapid development of technology, including the impact of COVID-19 on the press industry, Plate explained.

Advances in technology and digitalization have expanded the coverage of the press and media, considering that society is becoming increasingly dependent on technology itself, he observed.

The public's need and demand for access to information that is fast and even, free, have also increased with digitalization, he noted.

"The survey conducted by the ministry in 2020 shows the dominance of social media as additional information that is most trusted by the public; now we must be aware of this together," he said.

People trust social media as a trusted information channel, he informed adding, about 20 percent of the people surveyed said that.

"Seeing this phenomenon, the press and media are generally required to change the reporting process to be more concise and more efficient," he said.

However, the resurgence of social media as a media that is trusted by the public can spark other issues in the future, he cautioned.

This, he said, certainly needs to be addressed wisely, even though digitization has made the press and media make changes in several business processes.

"Do not let the enthusiasm to publish information that is actually factual and accountable to change. Do not let it change," he emphasized.

The Communication and Informatics Minister said the press must continue to be vigilant over infodemics that fill news rooms with post-truth, hoaxes, disinformation, fake news, and so on, which only confuse the public.

Plate asked the press and media to remain up-to-date and be factual and accountable, despite the new conditions created by the development of information technology and digitalization.

All related media people should, he said, be able to further strengthen joint commitment, as well as expand the role of the media in building a mass media that is factual and accountable.

"This is important to do considering that the media is an accelerator of change, as well as the main pillar of democracy," Minister Plate said. (Antaranews)