Subsidized Housing for Journalists Not Meant to Silence the Press

Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs official Meutya Hafid and Housing and Settlement official Maruarar Sirait assured that journalists can continue to uphold their ideals and independence, despite a new government housing program targeting media workers.

The program allocates 3,000 units of subsidized housing at the Gran Harmoni Cibitung residential area in Bekasi, West Java, specifically for journalists who meet the low-income criteria.

"This program is about telling the truth, not just what's comfortable to hear," minister Sirait said on Tuesday (May 6).



Menteri Komunikasi dan Digital Republik Indonesia Meutya Viada Hafid dan Menteri Perumahan dan Kawasan Permukiman Maruarar Sirait

Photo :

• VIVA.co.id/Fajar Ramadhan

He emphasized that giving subsidized homes to journalists is not a strategy to curb press freedom or influence their reporting.

“I believe journalists can’t be easily silenced. And, the government has no intention of doing so,” he stated.

The minister highlighted that many journalists face housing challenges, pointing to data that shows around 70% of approximately 100,000 journalists in Indonesia do not own a decent home.

He argued that denying them access to affordable housing, despite meeting the eligibility criteria, would be unfair.

“In my opinion, it's actually discrimination if they’re excluded even though they qualify. That would be unjust,” he added.

Journalists eligible for this program must fall under the low-income bracket and be listed in national statistics compiled by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

“Sometimes journalists forget to care for their own basic needs. That’s where the state should step in. We can’t just ignore this data,” he said.

In the same occassion, minister Hafid also supported the initiative and encouraged journalists to continue reporting based on journalistic ethics.

“Feel free to keep doing your job, as long as it's in line with the journalism code of ethics. That’s the only standard,” she said.

She added, “Journalism is a profession full of ideals. I don’t believe any journalist would compromise their values—and the government doesn’t want that either."

Halaman Selanjutnya

“Sometimes journalists forget to care for their own basic needs. That’s where the state should step in. We can’t just ignore this data,” he said.