FROM SCREEN TO REALITY: SANTRI DEMAND MEDIA ETHICS IN RELIGIOUS REPRESENTATION

 By : Baihaki Hakim

 

Source : Stiestekom

Semarang, 2025  A recent television program aired by Trans7 depicting life inside an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) has drawn widespread criticism from the Muslim community. The segment, which was considered to misrepresent pesantren traditions, triggered conversations about how media should approach religious and cultural issues with greater sensitivity.

For Alexander Vito Dharma Putra, the controversy reveals a lack of awareness from major media outlets when dealing with sensitive topics.

“Memang menyinggung, selayaknya mereka menjadi media besar, mereka harus melakukan riset lebih mendalam dengan isu yang sensitif,” he said.

He argued that a large network like Trans7 should be able to anticipate potential backlash by understanding the values and nuances behind pesantren culture.

For him, this reflected a misunderstanding of pesantren ethics, where apologies are expressed through humility and direct communication, not through public statements or press releases.

Similarly, Muna Dzar Azmi Haqiqi believed that the program’s intention was not necessarily wrong, but its execution failed to show proper understanding.

“Tujuan Trans7 benar, tapi cara penyampaian nya yang salah,” she noted, explaining that each pesantren operates under different traditions. “Nggak semua pondok itu sama, ada yang sesat ada yang benar, nggak bisa disamaratakan.”

However, not all respondents saw Trans7 as entirely at fault. Aryo Wicaksono, a pesantren administrator from Surabaya, considered that the channel might have portrayed something real, but lacked the contextual framing that audiences needed to understand it.

“Kami melihat tindakan memberi uang ke kiai kami adalah sebagai bentuk ngabdi kami. Adapun cara jalan berjongkok seperti itu adalah keharusan yang sudah kami pelajari di dalam kitab,” he explained. “Itu juga adalah salah satu tata krama dalam mengaji.”

The controversy, therefore, is not just about one TV program, it exposes a wider tension between national media narratives and local religious practices. In pesantren culture, such gestures of respect are spiritual, not hierarchical. When presented without explanation, however, they can easily be perceived as feudal or absurd by outsiders.

Several respondents also commented on how Trans7 responded to the backlash. M. Alifullah El Salami, an alumnus of Mambaus Sholihin Islamic Boarding School in Gresik, criticized the way the station’s director issued an apology.

“Metode ataupun langkah meminta maaf yang digunakan oleh direktur Trans7 salah,” he said. “Cara yang meminta maaf yang benar adalah so’an bertemu langsung dengan pihak yang dirugikan.”

Despite the heated reactions, some respondents said they would still watch other Trans7 programs that align with family and educational values. “Masih banyak tayangan yang lebih baik seperti Laptop Si Unyil dan Sahabat Otan,” said one alumnus. However, all agreed that the controversy has shaken public trust and requires serious reflection from the network.

As one respondent concluded, Trans7 must take this as a lesson to improve its internal ethics and cultural literacy.

“Menindak tegas kreator yang membuat konten tersebut, lebih banyak dekat dengan pesantren agar media lain lebih positif terhadapnya,” said Vito.

Ultimately, this incident serves as a reminder for Indonesia’s media industry: freedom of expression must walk hand in hand with cultural empathy. In a nation built on diversity, understanding the soul behind every story is what turns information into wisdom.