ANTARA urges presidential regulation to combat disinformation

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Director of the ANTARA National News Agency, Benny Siga Butarbutar, asserted that the fight against disinformation has become a critical challenge that must be addressed seriously through close collaboration among state-owned media outlets.

Speaking after a financial hearing with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Thursday, Benny pushed for the issuance of a presidential regulation to formally support state-owned media in combating hoaxes and digital falsehoods.

"In this era, the dissemination of hoaxes requires anti-hoax efforts and cooperation not only between state-owned media outlets but also with other domestic media and foreign news agencies," Benny said, pointing to the instability created by rapid developments in information technology.

The ANTARA chief argued that a presidential regulation is essential to provide legal certainty and structured authority needed to combat systemic disinformation campaigns, thereby safeguarding democracy, media civility, and the dissemination of factual information in the public interest.

While the pressure on media organizations remains intense, Benny noted that the parliamentary meeting concluded with an agreement that state-owned broadcasters must remain highly creative, leveraging their existing budgets to expand their journalistic reach.

This call to action follows strong financial growth for the national news agency.

Benny reported that ANTARA maintained positive profitability throughout its 2025 fiscal year, showing marked improvement over its 2024 performance.

The news agency's operating revenue in 2025 rose to Rp500.47 billion (approximately US$31.28 million), up from Rp453.93 billion (US$28.37 million) in 2024.

ANTARA also continued its positive contribution to state revenue, paying Rp69.64 billion (US$4.35 million) in taxes in 2025, which included value-added tax (VAT), income tax (PPh), and regional taxes.

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Translator: Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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