TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Press Council chairperson Ninik Rahayu hopes that the press will not be used as buzzers for one of the political parties in the 2024 general election.

Ninik emphasized that when the press is used as a tool for democracy, then it should be able to show the interests of the public, rather than certain groups or capital owners.

“So that our elections run well, honestly, and fairly,” Ninik said in her opening speech at the Kick-Off Workshop of the Press Council in Central Jakarta, Monday, June 19, 2023.

The Press Council said during the commemoration event of the 2023 National Press Day in North Sumatra that they created a number of commitments to prevent polarization from occuring as happened in the previous election.

“So that the press is not dragged into being a buzzer for a party,” Ninik said.

She argued that dissension that still lingers today is an implication of the polarization that occurred in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

The Press Council also encourages the press to keep adhering to the journalistic code of ethics in carrying out their work. Ninik also asks members of the press not to get caught up in social media since the information provided is complicated to be justified.

“The next commitment is that the Press Council will always uphold the dignity of press freedom in Indonesia so that it remains a pillar of democracy,” Ninik concluded.

EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA

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