Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Usman Kansong, the Director-General of Information and Public Communication at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, expressed his aspiration for government media outlets to solidify their role as a clearinghouse for information circulating on social media, during the Focused Group Discussion (FGD) themed "The Role of Government Media in Ensuring a Peaceful 2024 Election," on Thursday (26/10/23), During the event, which saw participation from ANTARA News Agency, as well as Public Broadcasting Institutions RRI and TVRI, Usman underscored that the primary imperative for government media is to uphold their independence. He emphasized the importance of assessing the extent of this independence, remarking, "The subsequent question is, who do they align with? It's more or less along those lines." Usman pointed out that there is no mass media entity that is entirely independent, including government media. "Whose side are they on? Well, if we look at it, the term 'public' is more appropriate than 'government'. Public broadcaster, public radio, public television," he explained. Usman  explained that government media must unequivocally support the government as an organizational entity rather than individual officials. "Supporting the government, not its officials, that's the general idea. Supporting the nation as an entity, not individuals," he concluded. (ar/inp/pr/nm)