The government\'s plan to prepare regulations to protect the press world from digital platform attacks from abroad gives a positive signal for the survival of the mass media
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JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government\'s plan to prepare regulations to protect the press world from digital platform attacks from abroad gives a positive signal for the survival of the mass media. However, there is something more urgent, namely the need for the government to deliberate laws that protect citizens from the invasion of global digital propaganda.In commemoration of National Press Day (HPN) in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, Saturday (8/2/2020), President Joko Widodo said the government would immediately prepare regulations to protect the press world from digital platform attacks.
According to a media observer from the Islamic University of Indonesia and a doctor of studies in the public broadcasting system at the University of Munich, Masduki, the more urgent matter is precisely how to protect Indonesians who are directly affected by the political and economic propaganda of digital media on a global scale.
Masduki cited as an example that the United States was formulating regulations to protect its citizens from the invasion of global digital propaganda. The digital war with Iran, Russia and other countries, including the sale and purchase of personal data, was the background of the birth of the law.
"In Indonesia, such a law is needed to ensure that digital literacy leads to healthy journalism," he said, Sunday (9/2/2020), when contacted from Jakarta.
Over the last five years, digital literacy initiatives been extensively carried out on campuses through the Siberkreasi Digital Literacy National Movement or the Digital Literacy Activist Network. In addition, fact checking units are also widely established.
However, this movement still tends to be sporadic and sponsored by global platforms as a kind of corporate social responsibility (CSR). There is a risk of undermining the critical stance of digital platforms that greedily divide the advertisements.
"There should be a law that encourages media literacy and digital citizenship so that media literacy and fact checking can take place on an ongoing basis. The Communications and Information Ministry tends to busily \'firefight\' by shutting down problematic social media sites or content. They forget about the task of pushing the regulation of the overall protection of citizens. The draft bill on personal data protection can be a way out by expanding its content," he explained.
Depending on social media
From the National Press Day event in Banjarmasin, the deputy chairman of the Press Council, Hendry Ch Bangun, said that the latest research by the Press Council in November 2019 showed that almost 70 percent of the community still relied on information from various social media.
This is the biggest challenge of the [main stream] mass media to convince and educate the public to consume truthful information.
This is where the role of conventional media comes in, specifically to give clarification.
"This is the biggest challenge of the [main stream] mass media to convince and educate the public to consume truthful information," he said.
According to Hendry, information on social media needs to be filtered and questioned because it does not go through the confirmation and verification process. This is where the role of conventional media comes in, specifically to give clarification.
Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate added, the media must pay attention to inventions, innovations and investments. "Disruption does not only brings great technology but also the power of capital or large capital. We need to consolidate, regulate and organize the media industry in the country," he said. (JUM/ENG/ABK)