Trust Given, Honour Upheld

Innovation or die! Nearly 20 years ago, when I joined detikcom as Indonesia’s largest digital media, I was brainwashed with that statement. It was as if innovation was non-negotiable for us, while others were often treated as stepchildren. This isn’t entirely wrong. However, looking at the current developments, it seems the basics must return as our spirit, namely trust! PT Trans Digital Media (detikcom) recently held its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGMS) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026. I, Ardhi Suryadhi, have been elected to lead as Director of Content and Editor-in-Chief of detikcom, replacing Alfito Deannova Gintings. The AGMS also appointed Fajar Pratama as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of detikcom, succeeding Elvan Dani Sutrisno. For me, this is not merely a leadership rotation, but a passing of the baton to safeguard the honour of journalism amid uncertainty. The element of ‘trust’ is what we intend to bring as the new helmsmen of detikcom, both internally and externally. The editorial team, considered the kitchen of the media where various types of information are prepared, must be given confidence that the world has changed. This means the way the editorial chefs cook can no longer be the same as in previous years. Media is not a content creator on social media that might have more freedom to create without the constraints of the Press Law. But this is the opportunity we are targeting, providing verified trustworthy information to the public. detikcom must certainly be where the readers are. Including if our audience is on TikTok, Instagram, or future platforms, detikcom will be there in formats they like. However, it will still uphold verification standards that cannot be compromised. We live in an era where information is abundant, but truth is often scarce. Amid the onslaught of social media that relies on algorithmic speed and emotional outbursts, detikcom must stand as an anchor. If a decade ago the challenge was migrating from print to digital, now the challenge is far more complex: maintaining integrity in a social media ecosystem that often creates echo chambers and the threat of massive disinformation produced by artificial intelligence (AI). This is where we must guard that ‘honour’. Twenty years ago, I learned how to type news here. Today, I am learning how to maintain the trust of millions of Indonesians. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we at detikcom are ready to run further.