Press Council Holds Public Hearing on Draft Journalism Funding Regulation
The Press Council held a public hearing on the Draft Press Council Regulation on Journalism Funding at the Press Council Hall in Central Jakarta on Monday (30/3). This step represents a strategic effort to strengthen the national press ecosystem so that it remains independent, professional, and sustainable amid the challenges of digital disruption.
Press Council Chairman Komaruddin Hidayat explained that the preparation of this draft has been ongoing since 25 July 2025 through a series of meetings and focused group discussions (FGDs) with various stakeholders.
“This draft is a response to the major challenges facing the media industry, particularly digital disruption and economic pressures that impact the sustainability of quality journalism,” said Komaruddin.
This public hearing forum aims to gather input from various parties before the regulation is officially enacted.
Representatives from academics at various national universities, press organisations (such as AJI, PWI, IJTI, AMSI, and others), press figures, and legal aid institutions attended to provide their aspirations.
The Draft Regulation on Journalism Funding serves as an instrument to ensure the continuity of journalism that serves the public interest. The document emphasises that changes in media business models and current economic pressures have threatened the existence of quality journalism.
The Journalism Fund will be collected from various legitimate sources that are non-binding.
Its management is emphasised on the principles of editorial independence without intervention from funders, transparency through annual audits, and principles of fairness and inclusivity in its distribution.
In addition, the fund management mechanism is designed with a checks and balances system to ensure accountability.
The fund is projected to support various strategic needs of the press industry, including:
The parties eligible to receive this fund include individual journalists, press companies, press organisations, and independent institutions that have proven to make real contributions to press freedom in Indonesia.
Through this initiative, the Press Council hopes that the national media ecosystem can have stronger resilience in the long term.