Supported by the Google News Initiative, Suara.com and the Local Media Community officially launched the "AI for Journalists" program through a Training of Trainers (ToT) session in Jakarta.
Saiti Gusrini said the European Union will continue to support independent media and journalists, including by protecting media workers.
Vice Minister Nezar Patria said it is important for the media to adapt and innovate to the development of technology.
TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia's Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, has expressed strong support for transforming local media into key players within the country's creative economy ecosystem, highlighting the importance of intellectual property (IP) protection and cross-sector collaboration.
The remarks were made during a meeting with executives from Suara.com and Beritajatim.com at the Ministry of Creative Economy's office in Jakarta on Tuesday (30 June).
Riefky said local media could play a broader role than simply delivering news by helping regional creative industries expand their reach and competitiveness.
"The Ministry of Creative Economy and the Jatim Media Summit team can collaborate so that local intellectual property can go national or even global," he said.
He noted that East Java has become one of Indonesia's fastest-growing creative economy regions, making it a strategic area for government support.
According to Riefky, closer collaboration between media organisations, creative businesses and policymakers would help identify challenges facing the sector, including access to data, training, financing, markets and regulatory support.
The minister also highlighted the growing problem of copyright infringement affecting creative businesses, including digital media companies, saying intellectual property protection remains one of the government's priorities.
"The Ministry, Suara.com and Beritajatim can work together to build a healthy creative industry ecosystem that supports one another and spreads successful initiatives to other regions," he said.
Beyond Traditional Media
During the meeting, representatives from Suara.com and Beritajatim outlined how local media are diversifying beyond conventional journalism through podcasts, regional training programmes and affiliate partnerships with e-commerce platforms.
Beritajatim Editor-in-Chief Dwi Eko Lokononto said regional media must reduce their dependence on traditional revenue sources and reposition themselves as active participants in the creative economy.
"This vision gave birth to the Jatim Media Summit. We want publishers to become creative economy players," he said.
Jatim Media Summit 2026
The discussion also highlighted preparations for the Jatim Media Summit 2026, scheduled to take place in Surabaya at the end of July.
The event will adopt the theme "Beyond Media", aiming to position local media as facilitators that connect creators, small businesses, affiliate marketers and digital platforms, rather than serving solely as information providers.
Rendy Adrikni Sadikin, Head of Community at Suara.com, said the summit seeks to strengthen collaboration between government, media and creative industry stakeholders.
He added that government support would help create policies and programmes that directly benefit local creators while improving access to intellectual property protection and wider digital markets.
Organisers hope the summit will become a new platform for collaboration between media and the creative economy, while showcasing local innovations with stronger IP protection and greater opportunities to reach national and international markets.
