Independence and Neutrality Journalists Ahead 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election in Perspective Media Conglomerates

Abstract

This research explains the independence and neutrality of journalists ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election from the perspective of media conglomerates. The independence and neutrality of journalists are urgently needed during the 2024 presidential election so that the resulting news products do not harm society. However, in mid the practice of media conglomeration, there is a phenomenon where media owners are active in politics and use the media for their interests. This conglomeration practice threatens the independence and neutrality of the journalists working in the media. In the end, society is the party that loses the most because journalists and the media can lead to uniform opinions due to media conglomeration. This research aims to illustrate the threat to the independence and neutrality of journalists ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election due to the practice of media conglomeration. The study uses a qualitative descriptive approach through primary data from in-depth interviews with six journalists from different media representing five media groups to get an overview of the independence and neutrality of journalists in producing journalistic products for the 2024 presidential election, which is threatened by media conglomeration. The result of the research is that the independence and neutrality of journalists make reporting on the 2024 presidential election in newsrooms difficult to achieve due to media conglomeration. Journalists who work in media whose owners are affiliated with political parties are not independent and neutral in carrying out their duties and functions. The higher the position of media owners in political parties, the more independence and neutrality of journalists and the mass media will collapse, because their relationship is very dependent on media owners.