Prabowo Admits to Being a News Junkie, Wakes Up Early to Monitor News
President Prabowo Subianto has admitted to being addicted to consuming news. The Chairman of the Gerindra Party described himself as a “news junkie” or news addict.
According to him, the term refers to individuals who intensively monitor developments on various issues through the media. “We are news junkies; we’ve got it bad,” said Prabowo in a statement released by the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday evening, 19 March 2026.
Prabowo shared this story during a question-and-answer session in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, which took place from Wednesday evening until Thursday early morning. In the interview, Prabowo answered questions from several journalists and experts he invited to his home.
Prabowo stated that he often wakes up in the early hours to follow global event developments. Usually, Prabowo said, he uses social media platforms like YouTube to access various news portals.
If there is an important event in another part of the world, Prabowo said he deliberately wakes up early to get the earliest information. Because, he said, such events are often reported during sleeping hours in Indonesia due to time zone differences.
“So I have to follow what happens. And that’s probably what keeps me always a bit up to date,” said the former defence minister in the Joko Widodo era.
On the other hand, Prabowo said he still ensures he gets enough rest. “Sleep is important,” he stated.
Prabowo’s discussion took place when the President met several journalists and observers at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java. The interview and discussion, attended by six guests at his home, continued until the early hours.
The moment of the meeting was uploaded to the Instagram @presidenrepublikindonesia, managed by the Government RI Communication Agency or Bakom. “The President conducted a discussion and interview with several journalists, observers, and experts,” the account wrote on Wednesday evening, 18 March 2026.
According to the post, the discussion and interview covered current issues to respond to global geopolitical dynamics. They also discussed domestic policy developments.
The discussion and interview took place on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. The meeting began at 19:00 WIB and lasted 6 hours and 30 minutes. They ended the meeting in the early hours at 01:30 WIB the next day.
The event was attended by two journalists who interviewed Prabowo. They were Najwa Shihab, founder of Narasi Newsroom, and Retno Pinasti, editor-in-chief of SCTV and Indosiar.
The other four guests were observers, consultants, and content creators. They were Hasan Nasbi, a political consultant and former head of the Presidential Communications Office PCO; Muhammad Chatib Basri, an economist and former finance minister; Rizal Mallarangeng, founder of the Freedom Institute; and Mardigu Wowiek Prasantyo, a content creator and entrepreneur.