…hope the presidential regulation on publishers' rights will be implemented fairly, transparently, and in an accountable manner.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and Legal Aid Center for the Press (LBH Pers) have asked the Indonesian Government to ensure the presidential regulation on publishers' rights is implemented in an accountable manner.

"AJI and LBH Pers expressed the hope the presidential regulation on publishers' rights will be implemented fairly, transparently, and in an accountable manner," a joint press statement from AJI chairperson Sasmito and LBH Pers executive director Ade Wahyudin that ANTARA received here stated.

The regulation on publishers' rights was signed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on February 20, 2024, as a form of government support for quality journalism on National Press Day.

The two press organizations said they expect that the distribution of income from the use of news content by digital platforms — obtained through cooperation schemes regulated in the presidential regulation — will help develop a more sustainable journalism business model.

"AJI and LBH Pers asked the cooperation to support quality journalism, as showed from the law's title," according to the press statement.

The full title of the regulation is Presidential Regulation No. 32 of 2024 on the Responsibilities of Digital Platform Companies to Support Quality Journalism.

The two organizations urged all parties to ensure the profit-sharing scheme helps realize quality journalism, including decent wages for journalists and media workers.

The need for decent wages for journalists has become more urgent, with AJI's research from February to April 2023 finding that almost 50 percent of journalists in several regions were earning below the minimum wage. Some other journalists also complained about not getting their wages regularly.

The two organizations called for the presidential regulation to be implemented by considering the interests of media working for public interest, who are struggling to pass Press Council verification despite the commendable quality of their journalistic products.

AJI and LBH Pers also reminded the authorities to ensure a credible selection process for the publishers' rights committee members, which is mandated by law, to ensure the committee remains free from any vested interest.

The press organizations called for the use of news content user's aggregate data, in compliance with the Law on Personal Data Protection, to protect newsreaders.

The Press Council must also ensure detailed regulations on publishers' rights to promote quality journalism and adequate wages for journalists, they said.

"Including to ensure monitoring indicators and mechanisms of the implementation of the regulation to be transparent and in an accountable manner, and the public can obtain the information more easily," they added.

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Translator: Fath Putra Mulya, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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