“We are concerned, and we hope that the media sector can grow. I hope that once the PHK task force launches, it will work on this, as the media is one of the sectors quite vulnerable to layoffs,” he added here on Friday.
Cross-ministerial cooperation is needed to realize this, he said. For media workers, the participation of relevant ministries/agencies, such as the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), in such cooperation is also necessary.
He emphasized that media workers play an important role in national life and democracy, so the welfare of both media companies and their workers must be paid attention to.
“We clearly see that the media is important and must develop in Indonesia because the media is a means of education,” Yassierli said.
Earlier, in a statement on the commemoration of International Workers' Day on May 1, 2025, the Indonesian Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) highlighted how media workers are vulnerable to unilateral layoffs and low wages.
AJI chairperson Nany Afrida said that waves of layoffs seem to be continually affecting media workers due to digital disruption affecting media companies’ income from advertising, which is shifting to social media.
The AJI also called on the government to support the development of a healthy, independent, and non-partisan media business ecosystem. It encouraged media workers to unionize within their companies or across companies to strengthen their bargaining power.
It also urged the Press Council and the government to establish a supervision system to prevent and stop media worker exploitation.
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Translator: Arnidhya, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
