Communications Minister sees mainstream media as key guardian of information credibility
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid has assessed that mainstream media plays a vital role as the guardian of information credibility amid a wave of disinformation that has the potential to influence public perception of national policy and Indonesia's position on various global issues.
"We are currently facing very high levels of misinformation; it is the mainstream media that plays the role of maintaining professionalism and conveying the truth," said Meutya during a visit to The Jakarta Post offices in Central Jakarta on Thursday.
According to her, the abundance of misleading narratives on social media triggers misunderstandings among the public and drowns out constructive discussions that could have a positive impact on society.
"It becomes difficult for us to discern which voices genuinely want to build something and which are merely noise. When the noise is high, the good voices tend to be drowned out," she explained.
On foreign affairs, disinformation can even disrupt Indonesia's bargaining position in international forums, including matters related to Indonesia's participation in the Board of Peace.
"The government may be criticised, that is fine, but this Board of Peace issue is also tied to Indonesia's bargaining position," she said.
Meutya stated that the media's role extends beyond conveying government policy; it also involves maintaining the accuracy of sensitive issues that affect Indonesia's reputation and diplomacy.
The minister emphasised that the government needs media that are argumentative and analytical so that the public obtains a complete picture rather than fragments of information that provoke emotional reactions.
She also stressed that the constitutional right to information inherently means the right to accurate information. For this reason, verification-based journalism becomes essential to maintaining the quality of information in the digital era.
"Accurate information is a right that the public deserves to know — that is what we want to safeguard," she affirmed.
"We are currently facing very high levels of misinformation; it is the mainstream media that plays the role of maintaining professionalism and conveying the truth," said Meutya during a visit to The Jakarta Post offices in Central Jakarta on Thursday.
According to her, the abundance of misleading narratives on social media triggers misunderstandings among the public and drowns out constructive discussions that could have a positive impact on society.
"It becomes difficult for us to discern which voices genuinely want to build something and which are merely noise. When the noise is high, the good voices tend to be drowned out," she explained.
On foreign affairs, disinformation can even disrupt Indonesia's bargaining position in international forums, including matters related to Indonesia's participation in the Board of Peace.
"The government may be criticised, that is fine, but this Board of Peace issue is also tied to Indonesia's bargaining position," she said.
Meutya stated that the media's role extends beyond conveying government policy; it also involves maintaining the accuracy of sensitive issues that affect Indonesia's reputation and diplomacy.
The minister emphasised that the government needs media that are argumentative and analytical so that the public obtains a complete picture rather than fragments of information that provoke emotional reactions.
She also stressed that the constitutional right to information inherently means the right to accurate information. For this reason, verification-based journalism becomes essential to maintaining the quality of information in the digital era.
"Accurate information is a right that the public deserves to know — that is what we want to safeguard," she affirmed.