Pegadaian Continues Journalist Competency Tests in Jakarta and Surabaya
PT Pegadaian (Persero) has once again organised the Journalist Competency Test (UKW) as a form of its commitment to supporting the improvement of Indonesian press quality. This programme, conducted in collaboration with the Dr. Soetomo Press Institute (LPDS), has reached hundreds of journalists from various regions in Indonesia from 2025 through mid-2026, as part of an effort to strengthen national press professionalism.
Entering 2026, this commitment continues. The first session of Pegadaian’s UKW was held in Jakarta from 3–5 June 2026 and continued in Surabaya from 24–26 June 2026, with a total of 40 journalists from 37 media outlets participating.
Speaking at the Surabaya UKW, the Vice Chairman of the Press Council, Totok Suryanto, appreciated Pegadaian for supporting the enhancement of journalist competency in Indonesia, noting the significant impact and benefits for journalists. Similarly, the Director of the Dr. Soetomo Press Institute, Kristanto Hartadi, expressed his appreciation, stating that Pegadaian’s support represents a tangible contribution to maintaining the quality of Indonesian journalism.
“Representing LPDS and all members of the Indonesian Press, we thank Pegadaian for supporting the improvement of the competence and professionalism of national press personnel. Furthermore, the implementation of the UKW is also part of the effort to maintain press freedom. Press freedom can only be maintained by journalists who are professional, competent, and possess integrity. Pegadaian’s support is a real contribution to maintaining the quality of Indonesian journalism,” said the Director of the Dr. Soetomo Press Institute, Kristanto Hartadi, in a written statement on Wednesday (1/7/2026).
In a separate instance, the Director of Network and Operations of PT Pegadaian (Persero), Eka Pebriansyah, explained that the media is a strategic partner for Pegadaian in building public literacy. Therefore, the company is committed to continuously supporting the capacity building of press personnel so they are able to present accurate, credible information that provides added value to the public.
“A professional press plays an important role in building public trust and increasing community literacy, including financial literacy. Through the UKW, Pegadaian hopes to contribute to creating a healthy, objective, and responsible information ecosystem,” he said.
Previously, Pegadaian successfully organised the UKW throughout 2025 in eleven cities, namely Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Semarang, Medan, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Denpasar, Balikpapan, Manado, and Makassar. The programme was attended by 226 journalists from 208 media outlets across 26 provinces in Indonesia.
The implementation of the UKW aims to optimise journalist professionalism in accordance with the Journalistic Code of Ethics and Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press. This programme is also Pegadaian’s contribution to supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4, Quality Education, through the enhancement of human resource competence in the field of journalism.