The Press Council has proposed recognizing economic rights over journalistic works in the revised Copyright Law as an effort to strengthen the sustainability of the media industry and protect the economic value of journalistic products in the digital era.
In an official statement received , Dahlan Dahi, Chairman of the Press Council's Digital and Sustainability Commission, said the proposal was submitted because journalistic works have not had adequate economic rights protection.
"We conveyed this in the proposed revision of the Copyright Law," said Dahlan in his presentation of the Press Council's performance report for the first half of 2026.
According to him, the current provisions allow journalistic works to be quoted and utilized by various parties for various interests by simply citing the source without any mechanism for protecting the economic value for press companies or journalists.
Meanwhile, Press Council Chairman Komaruddin Hidayat said the performance report was submitted as a form of transparency, accountability, and public responsibility towards the condition of the national press ecosystem.
"We want to submit a report within that framework, critical but objective, educational, and constructive," said Komaruddin.
In addition to fighting for the economic rights of journalistic works, the Press Council also continues to organize press companies through media data verification and updating programs.
Yogi Hadi Ismanto, Chairman of the Press Council's Research, Data Collection, and Ratification Commission, stated that his office had conducted factual verification of 32 press companies throughout 2026 and administrative verification of 90 media outlets from January to May 2026.
As of the end of May 2026, 1,277 media outlets had been factually verified and 198 had been administratively verified.
During the data updating process, which began in October 2025, the Press Council removed 300 media outlets from the official list because their verification certificates had expired and had not been renewed. A total of 97 media outlets had submitted renewal documents to extend their certificates.
In the area of press oversight, the Press Council received 573 public complaints from January to May 2026. Of these, 247 cases are still in the process of being resolved, while 326 cases have been resolved.
Press Council Complaints Commission Expert Indria Purnama Hadi said the high number of complaints indicates increasing public awareness of their rights, while also highlighting ongoing challenges to professionalism and ethical compliance within the media, particularly cyber media.
Meanwhile, the Press Council is also preparing a number of proposed regulations related to the development of the digital information ecosystem, including the phenomenon of content creators and groups known as "homeless media."
According to the Press Council, content creators are part of freedom of expression and should be encouraged to provide greater benefits to the public. Social media accounts of press companies managed in accordance with Press Council Regulation No. 1 of 2022 concerning Guidelines for Managing Social Media Accounts for Press Companies will receive protection under the Press Law.
Regarding press freedom, the Press Council's Indonesian Press Freedom Index reached 69.44 in 2025, an increase from 69.36 the previous year. The Press Council also monitored 11 cases involving journalists and media outlets throughout 2026, including terrorism, physical violence, digital attacks, civil lawsuits, and kidnapping.
