Yogyakarta, IDEA – The rapid development of the internet has made information around us spread very quickly. Everyone can provide information to others. Internet users in Indonesia are also not half-hearted. According to the results of a similar web survey, at the end of 2017, internet users in Indonesia reached almost 133 million people or half the population of Indonesia. Almost all of them are active on social media, spending almost 3.5 hours a day.
The problem is that not everyone has the literacy awareness to deliver informative and useful news to their surroundings. The role and involvement of women in writing news on the timeline, especially in remote areas, is also still low. Atma Connect in collaboration with IDEA Yogyakarta tried to provide citizen journalism training for 30 residents from the Gunung Kidul Women's Community Network (JMPGK), in Kampung Tani, Wonosari, Tuesday, (03/13). The next day, this journalism training was also held for 30 residents from the Kulonprogo Community Network (JMKP) at the Kedungsari Village Hall, Pengasih, Wednesday (03/14).
According to Silvia Yulianti, the citizen journalism training is a learning space for people who use information technology, especially women, to have literacy awareness and campaign for it on social media. According to her, women are a vulnerable group that is easily influenced by hoax news on social media.
"Data from the National Commission on Violence Against Women, in 2016 many women became victims of crime, and the majority were internet crimes. The biggest obstacles for women are low literacy rates and high costs to access the internet," said the Atma Connect Women's Empowerment Manager.
On that basis, according to Silvi, Atma Connect is trying to create an application called AtmaGo. AtmaGo is a free website and Android application that can be used to report problems, share solutions, find jobs, and post news about the environment. AtmaGo was created with the idea and spirit of "citizens helping citizens" to create a better environment from the bottom up.
"The hope is that it can become a learning space for residents to write, as well as provide information about the local situation, so that it can be read by fellow residents in the area or by families who have migrated so that they can continue to monitor their village," said Silvi.
In addition to reporting on local situations, AtmaGo, according to Silvi, can also be used to promote work or goods from local businesses, especially those run by women.
"Promotional content for job vacancies or business goods on AtmaGo, if possible, is made as easy as possible, unlike content on other websites or applications that tend to be formal. So residents can use their own language," said Silvi.
Meanwhile, Hernindia Wisnuadji, while guiding the process of basic news writing techniques, said that first of all, before doing literacy or writing work, residents must have the initiative.
"Initiatives are important, so if there are opportunities or potential around us, we can immediately observe them and respond," said Adji.
Furthermore, according to Adji, citizens must also understand and carry out social engineering work. According to him, if citizens, especially women, are able to carry out social engineering, then they will be empowered to face social problems such as poverty, backwardness, and violence that often arise.
"In social engineering, there are several steps that you can take, such as evaluating and reflecting on emerging social issues, then planning the steps that can be taken, then you can take action for change, whatever it is," said Adji.
Regarding writing techniques, the participants, who were mostly women, both in Gunungkidul and Kulonprogo, were asked to do direct practice. The writing practice raised a free theme around each participant's village. After completion, the writings were then corrected together, to then be given input on certain parts that needed to be improved according to the basic structure of the news, namely 5 W + 1 H.
Citizens' Enthusiasm
Dwi Sari Wahyuni, one of the participants who took part in the citizen journalism training, admitted that she was quite happy to be involved in learning with the women's network in Gunungkidul. In addition to increasing her network in the women's group, according to Dwi, she also gained a lot of knowledge about using information technology for writing.
With enthusiasm, after attending the training, Dwi will try to convey the knowledge she gained to her group in Nglipar Village, Gunungkidul. Dwi herself is actively involved in the Mitra Sehati organization. The organization consists of vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and female heads of households in Nglipar village.
"Of course I will share my experiences and knowledge during this journalism training with my friends in Nglipar village," she said.
According to Dwi, it is time for women to use information technology, such as AtmaGo, to promote their villages. This is so that the potential in their villages can be known outside the region.
"Later I will practice it in Nglipar Village, because more or less it might help Nglipar Village to be better known especially in Gunung Kidul, and beyond the region. Moreover, in addition to farming, many women in Nglipar have made information technology as an additional job field," she said.
Similar to Dwi, as a follow-up, all participants, both from JMPGK and JMKP agreed to routinely try to write about the situation, activities in their village and business product promotions through the AtmaGo application. The themes they choose vary according to their passion, business products and potential in their respective villages, such as culinary specialties, tourist destinations, souvenirs, inspiring female figures, health, and cases of violence against women.
Contributor/Editor: AH
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