STARTUP FOR MEDIA STARTUP (SMS)

As part of an ongoing program, the Startup for Media Startup (SMS) program is aimed at supporting local media and small-scale media in Indonesia so that they can continue to grow. There are several activities in this SMS program, including Media Viability or Local Media Business workshops; benchmarking, coaching, and mentoring; to the preparation of materials or modules that are deemed necessary and of course useful for local media program participants.

In the implementation of the program in 2023, for example, intensive mentoring activities were carried out for several media that were actively involved in this program. They are BandungBergerak, DigitalMama, Kutub, Babad, SukabumiUpdate, Indotnesia, BincangPerempuan, PurwokertoKita, Hamburger Podcast, and KaltimToday. Mentoring for them is carried out both online and offline per each media, but some are carried out in conjunction with Local Media Summit activities.

Apart from these regular activities, there are also at least two Local Media Business workshops which were held in 2023. The first was the Local Media Business workshop held in Sukabumi, West Java, which involved several local media managers from the Sukabumi and Cianjur areas, such as RadarSukabumi.com, JurnalSukabumi.com, SukabumiEkspres.com, PelitaSukabumi.com, Sukabumiku.id, RadarCianjur.com, and SukabumiUpdate as host.

Then there was the East Kalimantan Local Media Business workshop which was held in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, involving KaltimToday as the host. Apart from KaltimToday, this activity was attended by a number of local media leaders or managers, including from KaltimFaktual, Presisi.co, Intuisi.co, Detikaltim.com, and SuaraKaltim.

On a regular basis, coordination and communication with the SMS program participants themselves always runs smoothly through WhatsApp chat groups and email channels, as well as occasional telephone calls or direct meetings at any necessary time. The SMS program also has a special room available at the Suara.com office as a place to hold meetings, discussions or other activities.