TheIKNPost.com — Publisher Right Pending Jokowi, How Will the 2024 Presidential Candidates Be, These Are Notes from SS Budi Raharjo, Chair of the Indonesian Digital Media Association
Challenges of Democracy and Media in 2024
Time continues to roll by quickly, bringing us closer to 2024. On the journey towards the future, there are waves of hope and anxiety that sweep across this earth.
Anxiety arises, especially if justice and democracy, the two main pillars of community development, must face serious challenges.
In the midst of the euphoria of democracy, there is a shadow of injustice lurking. The hope for true democracy and without discrimination is the main focus.
Society is expected to be wise and sensitive to recognize efforts that may package injustice in rhetoric that looks beautiful.
In Indonesia, throughout 2023, the Indonesian Digital Media Association is one of the organizations that has shown a firm stance in rejecting the unfair plans put forward by a group of members of the press.
Do you know? There was a group of press people who persuaded President Joko Widodo to sign the publisher’s rights draft (publisher rights) with reasons encapsulated in order to advance quality press media.
The draft is designed to become a presidential regulation, in which there is a plan for distributing advertising cakes among the media mainstream (mainstream) and limits the space for start-up media businesses which are now growing rapidly throughout the country.
In the draft which was drafted as a presidential regulation (perpres) of the Republic of Indonesia, was given a strong barrier that media that would receive their rights as publishers had to be verified by the Press Council, even though the media had legal press status. This is where injustice begins to be implanted.
They tried to persuade President Joko Widodo to sign the publisher’s rights draft (publisher’s rights) which seems to aim for the advancement of quality press media.
The draft contains the potential for injustice because it places strong restrictions on media that will obtain publisher rights.
Verification by the Press Council is a prerequisite, even for media that have press legal status.
This raises concerns about inequality in obtaining advertising opportunities, especially for start-up media that are growing rapidly.
President Joko Widodo showed wisdom by refusing to sign the draft, realizing that the pros and cons were still emerging in the press.
Members of the press who oppose this draft, including start-up press media, stated that this could result in systematic bans and be against the development of democracy in the country.
It is important to note that President Joko Widodo’s promise to support start-up companies, including start-up press media, should not be forgotten.
Well, a warning came from Google Asia Pacific, which expressed concern about the potential negative impact of these regulations.
Google Asia Pacific Vice President, Michaela Browning, expressed concern that this regulation could limit the diversity of news sources and give power to non-governmental organizations in determining the news content that can appear online.
Google warned that this could harm hundreds of small news publishers under the auspices of digital media organizations and threaten the existence of media and news creators.
Not only AMDI, it turns out that the SMSI and Google organizations, Meta, the company that manages Facebook and Instagram, also rejected the draft Presidential Decree on Publisher Rights.
The threat of blocking news content from Indonesia on their platforms will become a reality if the presidential decree is passed.
In this way, this warning is not only addressed to current President Joko Widodo, but also to the president-elect in February 2024.
Indonesian people hope that justice, especially in the world of media, remains an aspect that thrives in this country.
Democracy must be guarded so that it does not slip into a pseudo-democracy, which benefits a few parties more than the common interest.
By involving all stakeholders, it is hoped that Indonesia can get through these times while still upholding the values of democracy and justice.
Publisher Right Pending Jokowi, What about Anies or Prabowo and Ganjar, Do They Sign?
