UPNVJ Public Relations - Senior journalist Panda Nababan gave a public lecture at the Jakarta "Veteran" National Development University on Tuesday, December 12 2023, which was part of a series of UPNVJ 46th Anniversary activities.

The theme raised in this public lecture is "Questioning the Independence of the Mass Media in the 2024 Election."

Speaking in front of UPNVJ students and academics, Panda Nababan said that there is not a single media in the world that is completely independent. Saying that a media implements independence is something that is very idealistic.

"Whatever the media, there will definitely be influence, dependence and attachment. The thing that needs to be paid attention to is the norms," said Panda Nababan.

The norm referred to here is the code of ethics in journalism. The media may have certain biases, but the writing and delivery of news must still comply with journalistic rules and codes of ethics.

Regarding the dynamics of the current political year, Panda Nababan called on all UPNVJ students to have a critical attitude towards social conditions and also critical reasoning towards all forms of news.

He also emphasized the importance of national unity during the campaign period until voting day. This is important because elections in any country, including Indonesia, tend to divide society into several camps.

This division is increasingly at risk of expanding in the current technological era, where the flow of information is so fast that it flows and is accepted by people who have smartphones. The various information during this election period is not necessarily all accurate, and some is even a hoax and has the potential to divide society.

For several countries, elections often lead to wider conflicts, including civil war.

"The cruelest war in the world is not a conventional war, but a civil war. We have been through that," said Panda Nababan, who told the story of several past conflicts in Indonesia.

"There is a special pride in Indonesia, we can remain a complete and united nation, without any worries of division like in other countries," he continued.

"We are united by Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, and also by the Indonesian language which is truly binding. There is a special pride in being a nation that is ready to move forward," said Panda Nababan.