ANTARA strengthens village reporting as backbone of development
Jakarta — The Director-General of Perum Lembaga Kantor Berita Nasional (LKBN) ANTARA, Benny Siga Butarbutar, has stated that the agency is prepared to strengthen reporting on villages as a source and backbone of national development.
“Villages, as we know them, are a backbone for the development of our nation and future national development. Villages cannot be left behind because villages are truly the identity and character of us,” said Benny following an audience with the Minister of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto at the Ministry office in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He stated that ANTARA is ready to publicise to the entire Indonesian population the village development programmes designed by the government, including 12 Village Development Action Plans from the Ministry of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions.
According to Benny, reporting on villages should be increased so that the wider public can learn about developments and policies that support villages.
He emphasised that various village-focused programmes demonstrate government attention to village-based development.
“When there are programmes that support villages, there are tourism village programmes, smart village programmes, innovation village programmes, and also the Village League, these are things that demonstrate that the government truly cares about villages as a source of development,” he said.
In line with this, as discussed in the audience, Benny stressed that ANTARA will perform its duty as a news bureau in promoting and helping to disseminate programmes and policies related to villages.
“So I think we need to promote, assist, and amplify policies related to villages, their communities, and their traditions,” he stated.
During the audience, Mendes Yandri Susanto had requested that ANTARA and TVRI intensify publication of success stories from villages as a result of implementing government programmes.
“Now, I am gathering villages with many success stories. So tourism villages, export villages, thematic villages, there are many. Perhaps TVRI and ANTARA could cover those,” he said.
According to Mendes Yandri, publication of these village success stories plays an important role, particularly in countering the emergence of false reports with negative tones regarding village development across the country.