Discussing Mass Media Verification, MINA, Asatu Online Conduct Audience with Indonesia’s Press Council

Leaders of MINA and Asatu Online had a discussion with a member of the Indonesian Press Council, Dr. Asep Setiawan, (third from left) at the Press Council Building in Central Jakarta on Thursday (June 15, 2023). (Photo: Suherman Saleh/Asatu Online)

Jakarta, MINA – The leaders of the Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) and Asatu Online jointly conducted an audience with the leadership of Indonesia’s Press Council which was represented by a member of the council, Dr. Asep Setiawan and his staff at the council’s building in Central Jakarta on Thursday.

Senior journalist Aat Surya Safaat as one of the founders of MINA, who is also the chief editor of Asatu Online, expressed his gratitude that the leadership of the two media outlets were able to stay in touch with the Press Council and had the opportunity to discuss the council’s verification request for the two media.

“I appreciate the member of the Press Council, Bapak (Mr.) Asep Setiawan, who, in the midst of his busy schedule, was willing to receive our audience and record our input regarding the verification of the Press Council,” Aat Surya Safaat said.

He was the head of the ANTARA News Agency’s New York bureau in the 1993-1998 period and the agency’s editor-in-chief in 2016. He is now a special staff member of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy for Monitoring and Evaluation on the Acceleration of the Development of Special Economic Zones for the Tourism Sector.

Meanwhile, Asep Setiawan provided an explanation of the terms and regulations about verification by the Press Council that mass media must abide by if they need to be varified. The varication includes requests for media company visions, payrolls, and rules on employment.

“Today’s meeting results should be followed up immediately. We are ready to provide the assistance needed, and I can be contacted anytime,” said the lecturer at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Jakarta Muhammadiyah University (UMJ), who was also a journalist for BBC London, Metro TV, and Kompas Daily.

The MINA leaders taking part in the audience with the Press Council are  Chief Executive Officer Arief Rahman, Editor-in-Chief Ismet Rauf, Secretary Widi Kusnadi, and Head of Coverage Desk Rana Setiawan, while Asatu Online leaders who were present on the occasion are Editor-in-Chief Aat Surya Safaat and company chief executive Suherman Saleh.

MINA is an online general news agency that is based on Islam with news stories in three languages, namely Indonesian, Arabic and English. MINA was founded in Jakarta in 2012 by three institutions, namely the Indonesian Al-Fatah Islamic Boarding School Network, Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) and Radio Silaturahim (RASIL/an Islam radio station).

Asatu Online is a national general media that has been running since 2021 with the tagline ‘Deep and Trustworthy’. The media is headquartered in Bangka district, Bangka Belitung Province. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)