Fostering Nation’s Optimism Through Media Coverage To Achieve Advanced Indonesia
By: Nur Chofifah) *
2020 we have passed, of course, with various memories in 2019 where that year is a year that is a test for the State of Indonesia, where one of them is the holding of elections which could give birth to political polarization due to differences in choices.
Almost every day we are served by a variety of hate speech to fake news that is scattered, especially on social media. Hardliners also seem to make religion to make an excuse that their choice is the most correct.
Besides that, the problem of radicalism also shows its existence, even more bar-like than the previous year. It was in 2019 that various media appeared to be provocateurs, not the least of the owners of social media accounts who suddenly became journalists to spread hatred to groups that did not share their views.
Many social media accounts that aggressively spread the pessimism of the Indonesian people, especially ahead of the inauguration of the president and vice president filled with political drama. Previously, former Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla (JK) had stated, the existence of mass media was a representation of the progress of the Indonesian nation.
Of course good people tend to get good information. While advanced society requires good information about a product through advertising. We all understand that currently the media is developing in an era of technological development. As a result of this progress, there was a change in the way in accessing information in the community.
The media can also be a driver of social activity, in other words the media also encourage the acceleration of globalization. That is because the media has its own persuasive power that can persuade or mobilize the public to do something. In addition to being a mobilizer, the media is also a means of empowering the community to preach news, the mass media are required to be neutral or impartial. But that does not mean covering up something that should be disclosed.
In this case the media is also a space for anyone to see and learn from what is happening out there. That way the presence of the media also plays a role so that the public can know events or information across space and time. So that the content presented by the media can be likened to food vendors, where healthy food will certainly make consumers consume it healthy. This also applies vice versa.
The existence of the media can also be a forum for various ideas, messages, and information to the public that allows the emergence of feedback (feedback) or responses from the public who receive information. It is appropriate that the media provide its own forum for people who have ideas for the progress of the nation. Because Indonesia still needs people who have works not people who like to incite or provoke.
In this digital age it is indeed possible that someone will have his own media content, armed only with social media accounts, all citizens can become journalists without having to learn the code of ethics and journalist rules. But the more easily people access the media, the threat of hoaxes or provocative content is very difficult to avoid. So that the mainstream media has an important role in presenting comparative news.
Logically, if unhealthy content is consumed raw, of course it will be something that is not good for anyone who consumes it. If that happens, where will this nation come from? Therefore, the media also has a vital role in presenting various positive ideas for the progress of the nation, these ideas will later lead to an attitude of optimism for the progress of the nation.
Do not let the expression of pessimism become something vocal in every news moment in various media. Indonesia alone has more than 250 million people where the younger generation dominates this number. Of course the role of the media will not be separated from the intervention of young people who are creative and innovative in spawning ideas for the progress of the nation.
Do not let the media go along with the talkative in spreading provocation because it is considered to increase the number of visits, but the media today must play a role in providing positive content, entertaining and always adding insight to the information access.
) * The writer is a social media activist
