The Public Relations Coordination Board (Badan Koordinasi Hubungan Masyarakat – BAKOHUMAS) under the coordination of the General Directorate of Public Information and Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of Republic of Indonesia (Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika – Kominfo RI) serves as a platform for conveying, managing, promoting, and disseminating government information. During the Inauguration of BAKOHUMAS 2023-2028 Management and the Coordination Meeting of BAKOHUMAS Program for 2024 at Hotel Westin Jakarta on October 23, 2023, the team from the Directorate of Marketing and Partnerships (DPKS) of Universitas Terbuka (UT) attended the inauguration alongside delegations from other institutions/agencies, including Universitas Indonesia (UI). 

The event was opened by the Director General of Public Information and Communication of Kominfo RI, Usman Kansong. He emphasized that BAKOHUMAS should be one of the platforms for cooperation among units in public relations and should serve as a bridge across public institutions in coordinating the flow of national public communication management. Subsequently, the Minister of Home Affairs of Republic Indonesia (Menteri dalam Negeri RI – Mendagri RI), represented by General Secretary of Kemendagri, delivered his remarks. He stated that there has been a shift in information governance from being centralized as a single actor to being decentralized and multi-actor. Therefore, public relations practitioners, who generally play a strategic role in disseminating official information from relevant agencies, are vital. 

Nowadays, public relations management strategies need to become information linkage channels based on demographic data because Indonesian society is predominantly composed of millennials and Gen Z. Understanding these two groups in the digital era is crucial. The key to successful information dissemination is to ensure connectivity with millennials and Gen Z, who are active on social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube). These groups typically follow accounts that are relevant to their interests and needs and are connected to various sources of information, thus receiving news from various perspectives. 

In implementing information management strategies, public relations practitioners need to utilize social media (posting short and engaging videos), informed in simple language (direct, clear, concise), use visualization (data, images, infographics), apply the principles of credibility and transparency, and serve young presenter. Additionally, public relations practitioners need to mitigate the development of AI and the threat of Deepfake technology in the enforcement of the 2024 General Elections and Regional Elections (Pemilu and Pilkada). 

Furthermore, Hasyim Gautama, Director of Governance and Public Communication Partnerships at Kominfo, also delivered his remarks. He conveyed the legal basis for information openness, and BAKOHUMAS vision is to develop the professional competence of public relations practitioners to support building a positive reputation for Indonesia nations and institutions. BAKOHUMAS profile consists of 136 elements, including 34 Ministries, 57 Agencies, 40 BUMN/D, and 5 State Universities (PTN). BAKOHUMAS activities include: 1) Joint dissemination of living narratives through public communication channels managed by BAKOHUMAS members, 2) thematic forums of BAKOHUMAS, 3) Public Relations Media Awards (Anugerah Humas). The public communication channels managed by the BAKOHUMAS Secretariat are social media and GPR Widget. 

The structure of the inaugurated BAKOHUMAS management includes areas such as Information Dissemination, Inter-Institutional Relations and Advocacy, and Human Resources and Organization. The achievements of the BAKOHUMAS Program Development Meeting for 2024 include: 1) the formulation of recommendations for managing BAKOHUMAS in 2024, a matrix of recommendations for the Agenda Setting of Priority Issues in 2024, a matrix of recommendations for the dissemination of information program areas in 2024, inter-institutional relations areas in 2024, and a matrix of recommendations for human resources program areas in 2024. In this regard, UT is included in the Human Resources and Organization field together with Universitas Indonesia (UI). In the formation of the BAKOHUMAS 2023-2028 management, only two universities were involved, namely UI and UT. It is a pride for UT to be trusted to participate in sharing government information. Before the official inauguration ceremony, Budi Arie Setiadi, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Republic of Indonesia (Kominfo RI), delivered a keynote speech, stating that BAKOHUMAS, as a platform for Government PR, needs to coordinate and collaborate in carrying out its function as a public communicator. He also discussed the trends in government public relations in the digital era, namely the development of digital communication channels and data-driven public communication. The challenge is in adopting technology for information dissemination and the potential for information chaos. Mr. Budi concluded the inauguration session by congratulating the inaugurated management with a dedication pin. The Minister of Communication and Information Technology hopes that BAKOHUMAS Management for 2023-2028 is capable of reinforcing the society-government relation performance in quality public services.