The Student Press Institution (LPM) OPINI of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Universitas Diponegoro (Undip) once again held the Journalism National Competition (Journation) 7.0 on Sunday (09/14) at the FISIP Undip Theater Room in Semarang. This event is a national-level annual essay competition attended by high school/vocational school/equivalent students from various regions across Indonesia. Carrying the theme “Towards a Golden Indonesia: The Hopes and Role of the Nation’s Next Generation in Building an Advanced Indonesia,” Journation 7.0 serves as a platform for young people to hone their writing skills, practice critical thinking, and present solution-oriented ideas regarding social issues and national development.

The series of activities began with the registration period from June 24 to July 7, 2025, followed by online essay selection, and culminated in the final presentation of the top seven finalists, which was held offline at FISIP Undip.

The pinnacle of Journation 7.0 also involved several professional judges from the ranks of literary figures and academics, namely Dr. Heru Mugiarso, M.Pd., a lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universitas Negeri Semarang, who is also the recipient of the Anugerah Sastratama 2022 from the Indonesian Poetry Foundation (Lumbung Puisi Indonesia); and Fajrul Falah, S.Hum., M.Hum., a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, Undip, and a member of the Quality Assurance Team for the Undip Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM). Meanwhile, the finalists’ presentations were moderated by Siti Aisyah, an Undip Communication Science student as well as the first-place winner of the 2021 Story Telling Competition at the Maliki English Festival, who guided the presentation and interactive Q&A session.

Through this event, participants are encouraged to confidently offer innovative ideas relevant to social conditions, ranging from educational issues and the challenges of globalization to national development. The Chairman of Journation 7.0, Moh. Arif Maulana Azmi, emphasized that this competition is not merely a contest of writing skills but a platform for the younger generation to make tangible contributions to social issues.

“Journation 7.0 is not just a competition, but also a space for innovation, discussion, and sharing ideas. We hope the younger generation can view problems critically while presenting creative solutions towards Indonesia’s Golden 2045,” said Azmi in his speech on Sunday (09/14).

This year, the first place was won by Zahra Dean Nasyitha from SMA Negeri 4 Karawang with an essay entitled “Thinkbyte: Strengthening Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking with Gen Z Through Education and Community in Karawang Towards Indonesia’s Golden 2045”. Second place was secured by Restu Armedia Suka from SMAN 1 Randublatung Blora with the essay “Bridging Boundaries, Embracing Hope: Equitable Educational Access in Blora for a Glorious Indonesia’s Future”, while third place was awarded to Ahmad Fa’iq Abdillah from SMA Islam Terpadu Granada Samarinda with his work “Ten Divided by Five Remains Unanswered: Anxiety Amidst Golden Ambitions”.

Through Journation 7.0, LPM OPINI reaffirms the role of the younger generation as agents of change who are ready to make real contributions for Indonesia towards a better future.***