Dr. Deden: Message to Journalists on National Press Day

UIN Jakarta, Berita UIN Online - It has been exactly 78 years since the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) was born on February 9 1946 as a forum for all journalists and press in Indonesia and has become a strong foundation in carrying out its role as a professional journalist. Looking at the life of the press in the era leading to independence, journalists had a dual role in realizing Indonesian independence. Apart from its role as a party that spreads information and fighting spirit through the media, the press also plays a role as a political activist whose aim is to fight the colonialists.

In 1978, the 28th PWI Congress was held in Padang, where the idea emerged from press figures to set a date as a day to commemorate the press in Indonesia. After long debates and discussions, the press figures finally agreed to set February 9 as the commemoration of National Press Day along with the birthday of PWI.

Judging from the aspect of mass media development, technology plays an important role in human civilization by looking at the rapid growth of industry over several decades. Digitalization affects most of the way things work in the media, including reporting.

Social media has now become an important part of human life because media users can spread, receive, access and search for information in just a matter of seconds, even if the information comes from abroad. Now anyone can become a citizen journalist without having to have official certification from the authorities, such as the PWI or the Press Council. However, this actually backfired on the public because the information circulating could not be guaranteed to be accurate and factual.

Lecturer at UIN Jakarta, Faculty of Da'wah and Communication Sciences (FDIKOM) Journalism Study Program (Prodi), Dr. Deden Mauli Darajat, S.Sos.I., M.Sc., started his career in journalism in 2004 when he was in his first year of college as a campus magazine journalist.

"For the first time I was involved in the field of journalism, how do we make arrangements with sources, that was difficult, especially at that time I was just a student and had my first experience. The resource person who wanted to be interviewed was really great, and I used to be active in Lingkar Pena Jakarta so I often came to Taman Ismail Marzuki every Sunday so I was used to it. "We also at the campus magazine collaborate with several media including Kompas and hold journalism training where all the sources are from Kompas and many other media. Until I graduated from college I worked at Republika which had experience managing online and print media there until 2008-2009," said Dr. Deden when met at the Harun Nasution Auditorium UIN Jakarta on Tuesday (6/2/2024).

Dr. Deden conveyed the contrast that can be seen from the development of the press then and now, namely the media. Compared to 20 years ago, the existence of newspapers is now fading because the media companies that publish newspapers can be counted on one hand. Not only newspapers, TV, radio and even online news media have started to fail because people prefer to access information through social media which presents short videos (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok).

According to him, there is a shift in journalistic work practices and patterns nowadays. If in the past news published by media companies would be the topic of public discussion, now it is the opposite, public conversations on social media are the topic of media news. The very flexible nature of the media requires that everyone who works in the field of journalism must be smart in dealing with it, they cannot just rely on the media, but must increase individual creativity in utilizing the ever-changing media.

The big challenge for media companies is to prepare intelligent content creators who can follow the situation, conditions and developments of society in the digital era. Smart and creative work will be more easily accepted by the public than the old-fashioned and monotonous work of journalists.

"In lectures, especially in the Journalism Study Program, students should no longer be given print media courses, but should study content that can be maintained even though times change because good content in any media will definitely be cool and will definitely be broadcast. "The most difficult challenge is to continue to provide news that is interesting, useful, responsible and needed by the public, even though it requires a process, that's PR for media owners," explained Dr. Deden.

In national life, the press plays a role as a bridge between the government and society, so it is appropriate for the press to be a media that is neutral, transparent, and whose rights to speak are protected by the government. However, press freedom is often interpreted with different interpretations between those holding power or the individuals who voice it.

Dr. Deden's view for the public speaking space is that there are quite a few individuals in society who do not have the courage to voice their opinions in public because they are worried that they will violate the ITE Law. Even though the right to speak is protected in the 1945 Constitution article 28, Law no. 40 of 1999, and the ITE Law. In addition, the democratic party in 2024 will increase the intensity of political reporting on social media, increasing public awareness to be more careful in commenting.

Dr. Deden said that the biggest problem now is the inconsistency of the information circulating with the actual facts. This is the main task for journalists to uphold the truth and side with the community. It is important for journalism students to master the science of journalism, not only studying theory in class forums, but also practicing directly in the field because only then can prospective journalists know the actual conditions of journalistic work procedures and practices.

“The great task of journalists is to confirm what is right and blame what is wrong. Journalists must side with the truth and the public, not side with power or businessmen. So the question of whether journalists must be neutral, the answer is no, journalists must take sides, and journalists' alignment is with the public. To prospective journalists, mastering subjects is not just mastering the material in class, it is also practiced because it becomes basic knowledge for entering the professional world. "Then the most important thing is to uphold the truth, journalists must speak the truth and not be neutral about wrong things and side with lies," he said. (Nadia Nur Fadilah/Novia Syifaputri Ramadhan)