Jakarta, INTI - The development of artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and the rapid flow of information have transformed the way people receive and disseminate information.
Despite this convenience, the challenges of disinformation and misinformation are also increasingly complex. This situation demands that the government provide faster, more accurate, and more adaptive communication that builds public trust.
To address these challenges, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) held a Technical Guidance on Developing Communication Strategies for Public Relations Functional Officials within the Ministry.
The activity, held from July 29–31 at the Grand Mercure Hotel in Central Jakarta, was part of an effort to strengthen the capacity of Public Relations (PR) personnel to develop effective communication strategies in the digital era.
Public Communication in the AI Era
Anwar Harun Damanik, Expert Staff to the Minister for Apparatus and Public Services at Kemendagri, emphasized the importance of the role of PR officers in supporting the success of government communications.
"This technical guidance provides a platform to strengthen the capacity of all PR officers in developing appropriate and effective communication strategies that support the implementation of their respective organizational tasks and functions," said Anwar.
He believes that developments in information technology have significantly changed public communication patterns. Advances in AI and social media allow information to spread within seconds, but at the same time, they also accelerate the spread of disinformation and misinformation.
Therefore, government officials, especially PR officers, are required to provide information that is fast, accurate, transparent, easy to understand, and trustworthy. Anwar emphasized that government communication is no longer sufficient simply to convey information.
Furthermore, communication must foster public understanding of the goals and benefits of each policy to minimize misunderstandings and differing perceptions within the community.
"Speed must not sacrifice accuracy, creativity must not compromise truth. The use of technology must remain responsible," he emphasized.
Accuracy Amid Vast and Rapid Digital Activities
He explained that the challenges facing government communication are increasing with the increase in people's digital activities. According to the Digital 2026 report published by DataReportal, Indonesia has approximately 230 million internet users, or 80.5 percent of the total population, and approximately 180 million social media users.
This vast digital space demands that the government develop an adaptive, data-driven communication strategy capable of effectively reaching the public through various communication channels.
In this context, Anwar continued, the role of PR officers is increasingly strategic. They are not only tasked with publicizing government activities but also at the forefront of communicating various policies to the public.
Therefore, PR officers need to be able to recognize the dynamics of issues, understand the public's information needs, craft appropriate messages, select credible media, and utilize technological developments wisely so that government communications are planned, consistent, and anticipatory.
According to Anwar, every government policy needs to be supported by a planned, data-based, consistent, and easily understood communication strategy so that it can build public trust and support the successful implementation of government policies.
Conclusion
The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) held a Technical Guidance on Developing Communication Strategies for PR officers to strengthen their capacity to face communication challenges in the digital era, influenced by the development of AI, social media, and the rise of disinformation and misinformation. Through this training, PR officers were encouraged to develop communication strategies that were fast, accurate, transparent, data-driven, and easy to understand to build public trust in government policies.
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