Journalist: Roles of Media in Promoting Religious Moderation Not Optimal

PPIM.UINJKT.AC.ID – Deputy Editor-in-Chief of RTV, Makroen Sanjaya, criticized the lack of roles of the media in spreading the concepts of religious moderation. He was of the opinion that the media had yet to fully execute their essential duty.

Makroen mentioned an example that most of aired preaching programs highlighted more about the populist religious speakers. That meant the media concerned more about the economic profit instead of the social function of the programs.

“As the consequence, many of the programs can no longer exist. It shows the weak understanding of religious moderation in mainstream media,” Makroen said on Friday (7/8) in a virtual seminar series of #ModerasiBeragama (Religious Moderation) themed “Religious Moderation in Media”, which was organized by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta through Convey Indonesia program.

The same thing also happened with digital media, where the existence of Islamic moderation as a mainstream understanding was not as dominant as non-mainstream Islamic understandings.

“Media as a provider should provide the number, contents and messages that present good images of religions. That will alter the people’s perspectives towards the religions,” Makroen said.

The virtual seminar on Religious Moderation is held every Friday via “Convey Indonesia” official Youtube channel. The discussion, moderated by Convey Indonesia Team Leader Jamhari Makruf, also presented other speakers, such as Ed Sepsha (a journalist of Kyodo News), Savic Ali (Director of NU Online and Islami.co), and Muhammad Hanifuddin (Editor-in-Chief of Buletin Jumat Muslim Muda Indonesia).

Writer: Andita Putri Ghassani
Editor: Zhella Apriesta