UNUD-UKI Community Service Collaboration "The Role of Mainstream Media in Driving Public Opinion"

FISIP Unud held community service activities in collaboration with the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) at SMKN 2 Sukawati Gianyar, Friday (1/11/2024) morning. This service activity was carried out to foster the creative spirit and accuracy of Gen Z in filtering the information they obtain from mass media.

This service activity presented three great speakers, namely Mr. Arthuur Jeverson, who is a lecturer from the Indonesian Christian University; Sis Diah Desvi, Dharma Negara Alaya creative team, and lecturer in Communication Studies at LSPR Bali; and Mr. Bagus Surya, who is a lecturer in International Relations at Udayana University.

Mass media has an important role in presenting information and entertainment, forming public opinion, and encouraging community participation. Public opinion is something that is considered correct by most people. "So, it is impossible for the news to be a hoax if it is already in newspapers or other news media, because it has gone through the stages of news verification," said Sis Diah in Gianyar, Friday (1/11/2024).

“However, you still have to be careful when sharing anything; Look for the facts first, ask friends or parents whether the news is true or not, because what we see will influence what we say later," he continued.

We abandon customs, and let go of the polite habits we have been living with, for fear of being left behind and fomo about what other people are doing. Therefore, "polish something right with the right fundamentals and then spread it," said Mr. Arthuur in Gianyar, Friday (1/11/2024). "The most important thing to know how the mainstream media is able to guide our opinions is to know its history," he continued.

In this era, it is not only mainstream media that we can access, because the form is now not only printed, but also available in digital versions, although it is rarely accessed by most people, especially Gen Z.

"People will turn more to alternative media," said Pak Surya in Gianyar, Friday (1/11/2024). "It's confusing when we say that mainstream media is the media that is the reference, but now the reference is social media," he continued.

Even though not all the information we receive is valid, there is a way we can use to find out whether the information is true or not, namely by doing literacy reading and finding out the facts or truth. Therefore, it is important for people to learn to think critically, increase knowledge through reading, and build self-confidence.