National Conference on Communication, Media, and Information (KMI) 2024: Highlighting Public Participation in the Digital Age

Jatinangor, December 4, 2024 – The Department of Communication and Information, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, is proud to organize the 2024 National Conference on Communication, Media, and Information (KMI). Themed “Public Participation in Development and Democratization in the Digital Era”, this event aims to be a forum for academic and practical discussions that address current issues in communication, media, and digital transformation in Indonesia. The event took place on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 08.30 to 15.30 WIB, at the Auditorium of the Postgraduate Building, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Padjadjaran University, Jatinangor Campus. The event began with a series of plenary sessions and continued with parallel presentation sessions. The conference presented various expert speakers, ranging from academics, professionals, to communication practitioners who have competence in various topics related to digital transformation and modern communication. Involving representatives of academics and practitioners who provide insights in various aspects: The event opened with the delivery of research results from Professor of Communication Science, Padjadjaran University, Prof. Dr. Atwar Bajari, Drs., M.Si. as Keynote Speaker. Prof. Atwar provided a perspective on the implications of the digital era on changes in public participation in democracy. According to him, social media has become an arena for expression, both ideas, opinions, criticism, and is also able to mobilize social movements. However, the digital era poses challenges such as polarization, misinformation, and information manipulation that threaten the integrity and peace in society. Therefore, Prof. Atwar emphasized that digital literacy, fair regulations, and technology that supports transparency are needed to make digital space a pillar of inclusive and equitable democracy. In addition, as a speaker from the practitioner community, Ir. Enurlaela Hasanah, M.Si., M.Art. who is a Senior Social Development Specialist, discussed community-based development strategies and their development in the digital era. According to Enurlaela, public participation in community-based development has been proven to increase transparency, democracy, and accountability, as seen in the PNPM program and Village Law. However, in the digital era, communication strategies that are technology-based and integrated in government systems are key to ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of inclusive development. The second speaker was Jeffry Oktavianus, Ph.D., an academic, Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who discussed health communication innovation in a global context. According to Jeffry, health misinformation in online media can have a significant negative impact on society, requiring collaborative efforts to address it. One of the things he expressed was the importance of the role of health workers in correcting and reporting misinformation. Jeffry also revealed that social norms and professional expectations are the main motivators for health workers to take action against misinformation that occurs on social media platforms with their various effects.

The third speaker was an academic who often works in practical activities as a communication consultant, especially public relations. Dr. Trie Damayanti, S.Sos., M.Si. is a Lecturer in the Public Relations Study Program at Fikom Padjadjaran University, reviewing the role of communication in managing social change in the midst of the digital era. Health communication through the health branding approach aims to build positive public perceptions of health issues by utilizing strategies such as healthy branding, health services, and health programs. Trie explained that an effective communication strategy must start with changing people’s perception of the concept of health, which can be strengthened through value-based promotion and health branding. Kunto Adi Wibowo, Ph.D. as the Head of the Center for Communication, Media, Culture, and Information Systems Studies at Padjadjaran University and also active as a consultant and political communication observer was the fourth speaker. Kunto revealed the research results of the Center for Communication, Media, Culture, and Information Systems Studies team on the “Emergency Warning” social movement that went viral in digital media when the issue of revising the Pilkada Law developed. According to Kunto, based on the research results, it is known that the “Emergency Warning” social movement utilizes diagnostic framing to identify problems such as the revision of the Pilkada Law. Meanwhile, motivational framing as a call to action is still rarely used. Online media and X/Twitter showed a significant role in spreading the issue, supported by the presence of public figures who expanded the resonance between online discussions and offline actions. The plenary session discussion at the National Conference on Communication, Media and Information was facilitated by

Dr. phil. Subekti W. Priyadarma, M.A. as moderator. Subekti is a Communication Management Study Program lecturer who managed to maximize the interaction between speakers and participants who asked various questions. Subekti stated that this plenary session was very comprehensive because it presented experts, both from academics, practitioners, and academics who are also involved as practitioners. The KMI 2024 National Conference raised various strategic sub-themes to explore various aspects of communication and media, including: (1) Digital Transformation and Media Regulation, (2) Communication in Social Change, (3) Health Communication in the Digital Age, (4) Crisis Communication and Public Issue Management, (5) Political Communication and Public Policy, and (6) Media, Culture, and Democracy in the Digital Age. The KMI 2024 National Conference was attended by 96 presenters, consisting of 36 offline participants and 60 online participants. The participants consisted of students, practitioners, and lecturers from 30 institutions in various regions, such as West Java, DKI Jakarta, Central Java, and East Java. After the conference, many of the presenters will continue the discussion and further research cooperation based on the discussion that occurred among both speakers and participants. “I am very happy because in the conversations of the speakers after the plenary session several things were initiated to develop further collaboration, including those expressed by Jeffry from Hong Kong Polytechnic University with Kunto as Head of the Center for Media, Culture and Information Systems Studies at Fikom Unpad. In addition, the parallel sessions revealed interesting research and also invited intentions to develop the research in different areas. What happened was very encouraging and I hope Fikom can hold a similar conference next year, “said Prof. Dr. Eni Maryani, M.Si. as Head of the Department of Communication and Information who is also the initiator of the KMI 2024 National Conference. Nabila, one of the participants from Diponegoro University stated that she was very grateful to be able to participate in this conference, and according to her, not only the selection of speakers was very good but also the cooperation of the committee and younger students who really helped participants in participating in the conference. A Fikom Unpad lecturer, Tantri Annisa Hanjani, who was also a participant in the parallel session, did not forget to state that she hoped Fikom could hold a similar conference next year. The 2024 National Conference on Communication, Media, and Information (KMI) is one of the important efforts in preparing Indonesian people to face challenges and opportunities in the era of digital democracy. By carrying out a relevant big theme, this event becomes an inspiring forum for all parties involved to share knowledge, experiences, thoughts, and innovative solutions. (NF) KKMI National Conference Agenda Book: https://bit.ly/BukuAgendaKMI2024 Abstract Book: https://bit.ly/BukuAbstrakKMI2024 Speaker PPT Link: https://bit.ly/PPTPembicaraKMI2024

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