Strategi Manajemen Media Alternatif Serat.id Bertahan di Tengah Pandemi Covid-19

Abstract

This study aims to find out how the Serat.id alternative media management strategy is to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic. This topic is worthy of research because the Covid19 pandemic also has an impact or loss to alternative media. As a not profit-based media and does not have strong financial support, of course, this situation threatens their existence, which in this case is Serat.id. Therefore, this kind of media requires a media management strategy to save their idealism and existence. This study uses classical management theory, participatory culture (participatory culture), and two other concepts such as alternative media and media management strategies belonging to Comedia and Siregar with 5 categories studied, namely finance, newsroom, human resources, technology, and marketing. Then the research method used is qualitative with a case study approach. The research data were collected through nonpartisan observation; an in-depth interview with Serat.id consisting of the General Manager, Editor in Chief, Social Media Officer, and contributors; reviewing documents as well. The results of this study indicate that in the financial category, the media management strategies are planned and carried out by Serat.id is (a) submitting donations to the Google News Initiative; (b) applying for scholarships to independent institutions/organizations such as environmental, pro-democracy institutions, to other international non-governmental organizations; (c) capturing advertisements professionally. In the newsroom category, the formulated media management strategies are (a) re-learning the target audience and compiling two new rubrics, and (b) relying on Kilas news production. Then in the HR category, Serat.id developed strategies including (a) developing the capacity of members/internals for various special training such as marketing and business; (b) striving to provide a working climate that is democratic, fair, and transparent. In the technology category, Serat.id develop strategies which include (a) utilizing Progressive Web App (PWA) to encourage technology readers; (b) planning to use Google analytics and other Google data tools such as Google search console, news consumer insight, news tagging guide, real-time content insight; (c) optimizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO); (d) take advantage of the Learning Management System (LMS). Lastly, in the marketing category, the media management strategy was developed by Serat.id is to hold a roadshow in the form of free journalism training to the public; (b) conduct an internship program “Learning Together with Fiber”; and (c) take advantage of partner media access. Of the five concepts of media management strategy planned by Serat.id in maintaining its existence and ideology during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is known that in practice, Serat.id only prioritizes 4 strategic concepts, namely finance, newsroom, HR, and marketing. This is based on the Covid-19 pandemic situation which puts their situation under pressure so that in the interviews and observations made by researchers, the four categories/concepts of media management strategies continue to be maximized by Serat.id. Although these efforts only came from one person, namely Serat.id’s General Manager itself. Meanwhile, due to limited human resources, technology management in its application has not been maximized.