REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said he is glad to witness that the public has laid greater trust in the conventional media than social media. He congratulated the press over their achievement.

"Frankly speaking, I am very happy with such a situation," Jokowi noted while speaking during the 2019 National Press Day here, Saturday.

It is not easy to win the public's trust amid competition in the era of rampant growth in social media that is spreading information, he remarked. Based on data, the public's trust in conventional media reached 59 percent as compared to 45 percent in the social media in 2016. However, In 2017, the public's trust in conventional media reached 58 percent, and the social media, 42 percent.

In 2018, the conventional media won 63 percent of the public's trust, and the social media, 40 percent, Jokowi pointed out.

"Viewed from the data, the public trust (in the conventional media) has increased from year to year. It should be maintained," he noted.

In the current era of social media, anyone could become a journalist and chief editor. However, it is sometimes misused to create chaos and even spread pessimism and fear, he added.

The president regretted the fact that when the government conveyed good news, it was reported in the public domain as a self-image building attempt or campaign, he pointed out.

Jokowi expressed hope that amid the noises and massive dissemination of fake news or hoaxes, the professional conventional media would take stock of the situation and find the truth and facts.

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