Media Coalition Urges Press Council to Pass Journalism Fund

The Indonesian press community is urging the Press Council to swiftly enact regulations for the Indonesian Journalism Fund, as discussed during a recent meeting. The Press Council has been working on the draft regulation since last year, involving all its members and legal committees. The regulation was formally approved in April 2026, and it is expected to be implemented at the upcoming plenary meeting.

Independence is the foundation of the proposed fund, with financial contributions collected into a single pool to ensure donors cannot influence disbursement decisions or edit funded content. The fund will allocate money through a proposal-based system, announced publicly, and evaluated by an independent panel.

Evi Mariani, from the Alternative Media Coalition, highlighted the importance of such funding for small news outlets struggling with advertising revenue. She emphasized the need for support, especially for regional media often overlooked by advertisers. Communications lecturer Camelia Pasandaran from Universitas Indonesia noted that the journalism fund will ultimately serve public interest by making verified, unbiased news more accessible to citizens.

This initiative aims to empower media outlets and reporters to produce news that directly benefits the public, as reliable information is crucial for citizens and advancing public agendas.