The European Union Will Continue to Support the Local Media Summit

TheIndonesia.id - The European Union will be ready and continue to support the organizing of the Local Media Summit (LMS) initiated by Suara.com and International Media Support (IMS).

This statement was revealed by the Program Manager for Human Rights and Democracy of the European Delegation to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, Saiti Gusrini, at Hotel Sultan, Jakarta, early October last week during the 2024 LMS event.

At the Gala Dinner with Appreciation Night and Networking event, Saiti Gusrini said that the European Union will continue to support independent media and journalists, including by protecting media workers. She said that's because journalists are part of Human Rights (HAM) activists.

"Because for the European Union, media workers are human rights activists. The European Union may be the only international organization that provides funds for human rights activists around the world," she said in her welcoming speech.

"The European Union in Indonesia will continue to work together to ensure that the media in Indonesia can enjoy and do their work in a safe and peaceful atmosphere. The challenges ahead are very big. The global (challenges) are very big, and maybe the domestic challenges in Indonesia will be very big (too)," she continued.

Saiti Gusrini also added that she is very grateful and appreciative Suara.com and IMS for initiating and held the Local Media Summit 2024.

"Congratulations to Suara.com and IMS who have initiated the Local Media Summit. Next year we will advance again. Next year, the European Union will advance again to help our friends," she added.

At the same occasion, Suara.com Editor-in-Chief, Suwarjono expressed his appreciation to the media actors who were present from Papua to Aceh.

"I'm proud, because this year we were able to gather again, so it's amazing. There's also something that makes us proud. This year we can also make a roadshow, holding events not only nationally in Jakarta, but also organizing the Sumatra Media Summit with our friends from Sumatra, and then ini East Java with BeritaJatim where they helped organize local roadshow to Malang, Jember, and Bojonegoro," he said.

Suwarjono said, this year is also very extraordinary, because there are many challenges that must be overcome by the media, especially local media. Therefore, he suggests everyone who join the LMS 2024 to be able to create quality content with sustainable business.

"So don't just let the content good, while the business is not good. Or vice versa, the business is good but the content is not in high quality. We don't want this, so therefore, we want to keep up," he said.