PRIME NEWS POST 

Jakarta – Amid the surging wave of information digitalization that often exceeds the bounds of verification and social responsibility, digital media outlet Kontra Narasi was officially launched as a balancing force for information democracy. The media emphasizes its commitment to literacy, verification, and public oversight – not as a restriction on freedom, but as a guardian of rationality in the digital space.

The launch of Kontra Narasi was accompanied by a public dialogue themed “Oversight: The Role of Media and State Institutions in Information Digitalization and Content Creators”, held at Warunk WOW KWB, Jakarta, on Thursday (January 16, 2026). The event was attended by representatives of state institutions, law enforcement agencies, broadcasting regulators, academics, as well as media and democracy observers.

Founder of Kontra Narasi, Sandri Rumanama, emphasized that Kontra Narasi aims to serve as a balancing media amid the flood of information that is not always based on facts and journalistic verification.

“Kontra Narasi exists to promote public optimism through data-driven, balanced, and responsible information. Media must return to its essence as an information filter, not merely a narrative amplifier,” said Sandri.

On the same occasion, the Haidar Alwi Institute (HAI) released the results of a national survey on public trust in the Indonesian National Police (Polri). The survey recorded a public trust level of 78.3 percent, with details showing 56.1 percent of respondents stating they trust Polri and 22.2 percent stating they trust the institution very much.

Meanwhile, 12.7 percent of respondents said they do not trust Polri, 5.4 percent said they do not trust it very much, and 3.6 percent did not provide a response.

HAI founder Haidar Alwi assessed that this achievement indicates Polri’s social legitimacy remains relatively strong in the eyes of the public. According to him, public perception is influenced by Polri’s performance in maintaining security and order, including its active role in disaster management and public services.

The HAI survey also measured public perception of Polri’s performance indicators using a scale of 1 to 5. The security and order indicator received the highest score with an average value of 3.97, followed by personnel professionalism (3.91), public services (3.84), and integrity (3.78). Meanwhile, justice in law enforcement recorded the lowest score at 3.69.

The survey was conducted from January 3–10, 2026, involving 1,500 respondents aged 17 and above. It used computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) methods and multistage random sampling techniques, with a margin of error of ±2.5 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.

The launch of Kontra Narasi and the release of the HAI survey reflect the urgency of synergy between media, the state, and civil society in building a healthy public information ecosystem. In an era when social media and content creators have become primary sources of information consumption, the greatest challenge is not just speed, but accuracy and social impact.

Sandri Rumanama highlighted that the flow of information is no longer dominated by mass media producing journalistic content, but by social media that often lacks editorial standards.

“Nearly 270 million Indonesian people use digital technology. Amid this digital war, the role of media as an information filter becomes extremely vital,” he stressed.

According to Sandri, Kontra Narasi exists to balance negative narratives, information spam, and disinformation that are rampant across various digital platforms. Therefore, the public discussion during the launch also highlighted the strategic role of content creators as new actors shaping public opinion.

“Content is more quickly accepted by the public than media news. For this reason, the behavior of content creators and their consumers needs to be part of a responsible ecosystem,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Kontra Narasi Advisor R. Haidar Alwi emphasized that the main issue in the digital ecosystem is not freedom of expression, but the imbalance between the reach of information and its social responsibility.

“Oversight must be understood as organizing collective responsibility, not restricting freedom. Proper oversight is not censorship, but a social protection mechanism to ensure freedom goes hand in hand with order and legal certainty,” said Haidar.

He explained that digitalization has shifted the media’s role from gatekeeper of information to narrative amplifier, where editorial decisions now have far broader social impacts as they are amplified by digital platform algorithms.

In this context, the role of the state becomes crucial, particularly in platform governance, handling disinformation, and public protection. However, Haidar stressed the importance of maintaining a clear boundary between regulation and censorship.

“The state must act proportionally. Delayed action risks conflict, while excessive action erodes public trust. Regulations must be impact-based, transparent, and accountable,” he said.

According to Haidar, information order is part of public security. Incorrect or provocative information can trigger social conflict if not properly managed. Therefore, law enforcement agencies should prioritize prevention through education, clarification, and public dialogue before taking legal action.

He summarized that ideal oversight of the digital space is based on four main principles: freedom, responsibility, order, and legal certainty.

“Media conduct verification, content creators understand the impact of their influence, the state regulates proportionally, authorities act preventively and accountably, and society strengthens digital literacy,” Haidar stressed.

“Oversight is not the work of one party, but a collective responsibility. Digitalization is inevitable. The challenge is not freedom itself, but its social impact. Balancing freedom and order is the key to keeping the digital space healthy, productive, and dignified,” he concluded.

Reported from various media sources/senior journalists of Prime News Post / photo: courtesy