China Wields Soft Power Through Digital Media
- Arianti Widya's
VIVA – In the development of an increasingly modern era, the media has become one of the effective tools to build a hegemony. In a hybrid seminar themed “Soft Power China through Media in Indonesia” on Monday, September 19, 2022, to urge the public to have a critical think in consuming news from China.
This seminar appointed the Chair of the Indonesian Sinology Forum, Johanes Herlijanto, Dr. Rahadjeng Pulungsari Hadi, an expert on China and Cultural Studies from the University of Indonesia, and Susi Tekunan, M.A, a doctoral student from the University of Hawaii as speakers.
Chairman of the Indonesian Sinology Forum, Johanes Herlijanto said that for now, news or entertainment content from China is easily accessible through domestic media and digital media platforms. Therefore, society must maintain critical thinking.
"Indonesian people are expected to maintain a critical attitude in consuming news and entertainment content from China that can be accessed through domestic media and digital media platforms." Johanes Herlijanto remarked on September 19, 2022.
“One way is, for example, through efforts to balance information from that country with information coming from sources that are free from the control of the PRC government,” Johanes added.
A hybrid seminar themed “Soft Power China through Media in Indonesia
- Arianti Widya
For information, Soft Power is an effort to influence and form a public response to the existence of the state without coercion using certain values such as culture, political understanding, and the media.
According to Johanes, China's efforts to shape norms and influence elite groups as well as the wider community are also taking place in Indonesia. Apart from using its financial power, particularly through investment in infrastructure and mining, China is also trying to exert its influence through cultural fields.
Ph.D. candidate from the University of Hawaii, Susy Tekunan said that China has long been trying to build its soft power through various media.
“China built Voice of China in 2018, which is under the auspices of the Central Propaganda Department and combines CCTV, China National Radio, and China Radio International. The Voice of China is tasked with 'disseminating party theories, directions, principles and policies as well as spreading positive Chinese stories." Susy Tekunan explained.
Furthermore, Johanes explained that China is trying to reach the Indonesian people. In general, China's media strategy can be divided into two interrelated strategies.
First, the Chinese media are trying to be present in Indonesia by cooperating with the mainstream media in the country. Second, China seeks to reach audiences in Indonesia through social media.
Currently, there are many collaborations between Television from China and Indonesia. This cooperation is an attempt by both parties to promote themselves.
Apart from television, China also cooperates with radio media, print media, and others. In addition to traditional platforms, media from China are also trying to reach the Indonesian public through new media platforms. However, they use social media Twitter and Facebook to reach the Indonesian public by broadcasting news in Indonesian.
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