The Centre for Democracy, Constitutional Law, and Human Rights (PANDEKHA) at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada, organized an internal capacity-building session titled "Mass Media Opinion Writing Training" on Friday, August 28, 2026, in the Research Centre Room, Building IV, 2nd Floor, UGM Faculty of Law. The event was held exclusively for PANDEKHA FH UGM volunteers and junior researchers. It was designed as an institutional effort to bridge rigorous academic legal research and its transformation into communicative public ideas capable of broad impact.
The training featured Umar Mubdi, S.H., M.A., a PANDEKHA FH UGM academic currently pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Szeged, as the sole resource person. In his presentation, he offered a comprehensive dissection of the anatomy of popular opinion writing from how to identify the momentum of unfolding constitutional issues, formulate a sharp analytical angle, to constructing a clear narrative structure without diminishing the depth of the legal substance. Participants were guided in understanding the importance of packaging theoretical analysis into language that is accessible to the public, so as to broaden civic engagement with matters of state.
The resource person further emphasized that opinion writing in mass media is one of the strategic advocacy platforms available to academics and young researchers in responding to legal dynamics and democratic regression. The ability to translate legislative articles and legal doctrine into public discourse was identified as crucial, so that human rights advocacy is not confined to the classroom alone. Through this forum, participants were equipped with practical skills to formulate legal arguments that are substantive, persuasive, and capable of sparking healthy dialectics in digital public spaces and national media.
The organization of this internal capacity-building training reflects the sustained commitment of the academic community to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The session contributes concretely to SDG 4 (Quality Education) through the strengthening of critical legal literacy competencies, academic-popular writing skills, and the practical transfer of knowledge to the younger generation; and supports SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by promoting public information transparency and the broad dissemination of ideas on accountable rule of law through mass media.
Author : Aji Baskoro (Program Manager Pandekha FH UGM)
