Jatim Media Summit 2026 Champions Creative Economy and Beyond Media

The rapid growth of digital platforms, changing audience behavior, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) are placing increasing pressure on the sustainability of local media businesses. As a result, media organizations are being challenged to explore new sources of growth beyond conventional business models.

In response to these challenges, Suara.com, in collaboration with Beritajatim.com, will host the Jatim Media Summit 2026, carrying the theme "Creative Economy Ecosystem & Beyond Media Transformation in East Java."

The summit will take place on July 30, 2026, at Whiz Luxe Hotel Spazio, Surabaya, bringing together media leaders, government officials, academics, communities, and private-sector stakeholders to discuss the future of the media industry and strengthen the role of local media within the creative economy ecosystem.

Suara.com's Editor-in-Chief, Suwarjono, said the theme was chosen to encourage local media to seize new opportunities amid industry disruption. According to him, media organizations must move beyond their traditional role as content publishers and begin building ecosystems that generate economic value through collaboration, innovation, and the development of intellectual property (IP).

"Media can no longer rely solely on content distribution as its business model. Through the Jatim Media Summit, we want to encourage local media to become an integral part of the creative economy ecosystem, develop more sustainable business models, and continue fulfilling their core mission of delivering credible journalism," Suwarjono said.

He added that the summit is expected to become a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among stakeholders to shape a more resilient and technology-driven future for local media.

Meanwhile, Beritajatim.com CEO and Editor-in-Chief Dwi Eko Lokononto said the Jatim Media Summit was initiated to strengthen the sustainability of local media through capacity building, technology adoption, and business model innovation.

"In today's challenging landscape, collaboration is essential. We believe media organizations should become active players in the creative economy through the development of intellectual property. The Jatim Media Summit aims to help local media remain sustainable—both commercially and editorially—while serving as a platform for sharing ideas and innovative business models," Dwi said.

The initiative has also received support from Indonesia's Ministry of Creative Economy. During a meeting with Suara.com and Beritajatim.com, Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya emphasized that the Jatim Media Summit could become a strategic partner in strengthening Indonesia's creative economy through the hexahelix approach, which brings together government, businesses, academia, communities, media, and the public.

"The Ministry's focus is not only on supporting emerging creative entrepreneurs, but also on helping them scale nationally and globally. We see opportunities to collaborate with the Jatim Media Summit and regional hexahelix partners to create mentoring platforms for creative economy players across Indonesia," the Minister said.

In addition to the Minister's keynote address, the summit will feature conferences, panel discussions, and best-practice sessions covering topics such as AI in newsrooms, sustainable media business strategies, media collaboration with SMEs, and the development of a roadmap for East Java's media ecosystem.

The event will also bring together prominent speakers from across sectors, including representatives from the Indonesia Creative Cities Network (ICCN), KEK Singhasari, Bank Jago, Suara Surabaya, BlokBojonegoro, the East Java Communication and Information Office, KapanLagi Youniverse, Airlangga University, and other creative industry leaders.

Through the theme "Creative Economy Ecosystem & Beyond Media Transformation in East Java," the organizers hope the Jatim Media Summit will inspire local media to evolve beyond their traditional role as publishers and become key drivers of regional business ecosystems and the creative economy.

Here are the details regarding the Jatim Media Summit (JMS) 2026