Prabowo Alludes to Big Investors Controlling Media in National Press Day Remarks

February 9, 2025 | 10:41 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto conveyed his greetings for the 79th National Press Day to all press personnel in Indonesia. Prabowo conveyed the greeting in a video message broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel on February 9, 2025.

In his message, Prabowo said that the Indonesian press has become an important pillar in democratic life, voicing the truth, and providing accurate information to the Indonesian people. "I appreciate the hard work of journalists, reporters, and press personnel, and the media who continue to carry out their services with high dedication, even though the challenges faced are increasingly complex," said Prabowo.

According to him, the Indonesian press must always be a dynamic and responsible press, and understand what is in the interests of the nation and state. "The Indonesian press must be a Pancasila press, a press that is involved in national development that is committed to the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia," said Prabowo.

Prabowo admitted that he understood that the world of the press faced various dynamics both from within and outside the country. However, he said that a professional and integrated press was an asset for a nation.

"We must be vigilant against attempts to control thinking and influence the course of public opinion by using large capital," said the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party. According to Prabowo, there is a tendency throughout the world for large investors to want to control the media and influence the people of certain countries.

Although he claims to uphold press freedom, Prabowo warned of the dangers of spreading hoax news, spreading hatred, and spreading distrust of fellow citizens. "We must always be aware of these divisive efforts," he said.

The National Press Day (HPN) is commemorated every February 9. However, this commemoration date has been criticized because it is considered inappropriate to be a milestone for the commemoration of the country's press. The reason is that February 9 is the birthday of one of the journalist organizations, namely the Indonesian Journalists Association, which was born in the New Order era. The first HPN was also established during the era of President Soeharto's government.

In fact, after Soeharto fell in 1998, there were a number of important changes that occurred in the media sector, namely the correction of New Order regulations. Among them, the issuance of Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press and the revocation of the Decree (SK) of the Minister of Information Number 47 of 1975 concerning government recognition of PWI as the only journalist organization in Indonesia. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Association of Indonesian Television Journalists (IJTI) urged the Press Council to revise the date of National Press Day.

Riani Sanusi Putri contributed to the writing of this article.

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