The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo), in collaboration with the Indonesian Student Journalist Association (IJPN), held a workshop on journalism and digital literacy. This Papuan Youth Participate in Journalism Workshop was started on March 1-2, 2023.
The workshop is themed “Improving Journalism Capacity in the Digital Era for Papua Students”. The event is attended by 30 students from various campuses in Jayapura, including Cenderawasih University (Uncen) Jayapura, Jayapura University of Science and Technology (USTJ), and Muhammadiyah University of Papua.
According to Bambang Gunawan from Kominfo, this journalism and digital literacy training is very important given the digitalization era. The government realizes that the public has the right to quality information based on facts that educate, enlighten, and empower, as well as build nationalism.
The Importance of Journalism Workshop for Youth
As part of the implementation of President Joko Widodo’s policy, Kominfo is holding various programs and activities that prioritize the skills of Indonesian human resources.
One of them is journalist training for Papua students. According to Bambang, journalists are the pillar of democracy and even serve as a balance to other state organizers, namely the executive, judiciary, and legislative.
The General Chairman of IJPN, Roberthus Yewen, stated that journalism workshops for students are very important.
Besides improving journalism literacy, students are also expected to write more about the lives of the Papuan people. Especially on how they can use their pen to write about peace and solidarity, as well as explore the potential of Papuan culture and tourism.
According to Yewen, the amazing potential of Papuan culture and tourism is rarely written or published in mass media and social media.
Therefore, training workshops like this are very important and useful for the younger generation of Papua. Because besides improving journalism literacy, students are also required to write more about the lives of the Papuan people themselves.
Speakers from Papua Media Journalists
This journalism training activity features several speakers or instructors from media journalists in Papua. This workshop allows students to learn journalism skills and digital literacy.
It can help them understand and produce quality information. Moreover, this training also allows students to expand their network with professional journalists and fellow students from various campuses in Jayapura.
In this training, participants will learn about various modern journalism aspects. Including news writing techniques, the use of social media and other digital platforms for news publication, and journalistic ethics. In addition, participants will also learn how to conduct research and interviews, gather information, and fact-check the information they obtain.
Aside from journalism training, this workshop also emphasizes the importance of digital literacy for students. In today’s digital era, digital literacy is essential for everyone, especially students who often use technology in their studies.
This digital literacy training aims to help participants understand how to use technology safely and effectively.
Supporting Papua’s Development through Professional Journalists
This journalism and digital literacy workshop will support Papua’s development by improving professional journalists’ quality. As one of the most isolated provinces in Indonesia, Papua needs more media coverage to promote its tourism, culture, and economic potential.
In this regard, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has taken the initiative to improve the quality of journalists in Papua through journalism and digital literacy training for students.
With more skilled and trained journalists, more quality news about Papua is expected to be produced and published through mass media and social media.
Papuan youth participate in journalism workshop is a crucial step in improving the quality of journalists in Papua. This training provides an opportunity for students to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to start a career in journalism.
Additionally, this training can support Papua’s development through increased media coverage of its tourism, culture, and economic potential.
