- 15/03/2021
- Category: Press Release
Google meet, March 5, 2021 – Encouragement of the media industry to adjust the market by penetrating online-based news. This phenomenon should not affect media companies’ function to present accountable news to the public, especially to take part in efforts to increase Indonesia’s digital literacy. The increasingly swift flow of information from the media makes people confused in choosing helpful information. In the Digitalk # 46 series CfDS invited Haifa Inayah as the CEO of Catch Me Up to discuss how the news media’s contribution to increase digital literacy, especially for millennials and Generation Z, the swift flow of information. This event is broadcast live via Google meet and Youtube Live Stream.
Catch Me Up! as a News Media for Millennials and Generation Z
Catch Me Up! is the first newsletter report in Indonesia that recaps daily issues in a language style tailored to their segmentation, namely millennials and generation Z. Catch Me Up! itself appeared starting from Haifa Inayah’s awareness to follow the news but did not have much time. So she often felt confused to start finding which news sources to follow. News delivery by e-mail is based on the assumption that e-mail is already used by everyone, especially millennials and generation Z, and is more accessible than news media websites. Another characteristic of Catch Me Up! is that they don’t send out newsletters on Saturdays and Sundays to reduce the overflow of information and leave readers exhausted from processing the news every day. This is done to support the community’s mental health issues because they feel tired from being exposed to too much information.
The Role of Catch Me Up! in Improving Digital Literacy
Haifa Inaya emphasized that the media industry cannot force millennials and generation Z to read the news regarding digital literacy. However, as a medium, Catch Me Up! trying to innovate so that the millennial community can accept the news that is present and generation Z. In fact, this is a challenge for Catch Me Up! to continue to innovate to find what the market likes. Not only that, but another challenge is also the circulation of news that is clickbait and not educative. Haifa considers this a challenge for all media because many readers in Indonesia are hooked just by reading the title. Therefore, the news published in Catch Me Up! must not contain clickbait elements and must always mention the source. Haifa added that the public media often do not include the source of both the photos and videos they use. Besides, Haifa also ensures that hoaxes and clickbait will not be in Catch Me Up!, because Catch Me Up! only write news that conforms to 5W + 1H or the required information without providing new perspectives or framing. Closing her presentation, Haifa said that as a newsreader, the public must question the news and not wholly believe in the news because news comes to be questioned and not believed.
Writer: Firya Qurratu’ain A.
Editor: Ruth T. Simanjuntak
