West Java DPRD and KPID Collaborate to Boost Media Literacy, Strengthen Information Sovereignty

Two West Java figures, Deputy Speaker of the West Java DPRD Ono Surono and Chairman of the West Java KPID Adiyana Slamet, are collaborating to promote media literacy. They are committed to strengthening information sovereignty amid the rapid flow of digitalisation. Through the innovative programme ‘Nyemah Atikan Penyiaran’, the West Java DPRD and KPID are engaging directly with the community to build collective awareness in filtering healthy and educational information. This strategic step was implemented in a media literacy activity titled ‘Universal Supervision: Building the Public’s Spirit of Mutual Cooperation in Maintaining Information Sovereignty in the Digital Era’, held in Cirebon. This agenda serves as an important momentum to assert that universal supervision is no longer merely an option, but an urgent necessity for Indonesia’s digital space. Chairman of the West Java KPID, Adiyana Slamet, stated that this working visit with the legislature aims to provide comprehensive education to the Cirebon community. He emphasised that media supervision must no longer be limited to conventional platforms like television and radio, but must extend to the increasingly massive digital realm. ‘This is part of our visit to Cirebon with Mr. Ono, in the context of conducting literacy to provide information to the public so they can participate together in supervising broadcasting issues and similar media,’ he said on Wednesday (15/7). He stressed that the current exposure to internet-based media requires a strong defence from the community. Therefore, collaboration between the KPID, DPRD, and the public is the main key to improving the quality of human resources in the information sector, particularly in combating the dangers of hoaxes. ‘Hoaxes are a disease and a threat to West Java and Indonesia. The West Java Provincial KPID is fully backed by the West Java Provincial DPRD to conduct literacy programmes not only for Generation Z or millennials. We also visit elementary schools with parents to help them sort and choose age-appropriate, regulation-compliant, and ideologically sound viewing content,’ Adiyana asserted. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the West Java DPRD, Ono Surono, welcomed and fully supported the consistency of the West Java KPID in educating citizens. He noted that the development of the digital world, which is unbounded by space and time, is a double-edged sword, presenting both great potential for progress and significant threats. ‘With the current development of the digital world, conditions could become excessive. Therefore, regulations must be enforced. The DPRD’s function is to ensure these various regulations are implemented,’ he stated. Ono reminded that with West Java’s population reaching 51 million, the majority of whom are active internet users, future challenges will be increasingly complex. Crucial issues such as the rise of online gambling, the spread of fake news, and the need for age restrictions on digital broadcasts are homework that must be addressed immediately through firm regulation. ‘We need firm regulations, products from the central government that serve as a basis for the West Java Provincial Government to create regional regulations or gubernatorial decrees. Equally important is how public education becomes essential, because regulation cannot solely be the government’s responsibility; we must invite the public to participate,’ he concluded.