A clear and present danger<\/p>\n
Even without looking at the news, newspaper readers all over
\nIndonesia must have become aware over the past few weeks that the
\ncurrent monetary crisis is hitting this country's newspaper
\nbusiness, and hitting it hard: The thinner newspapers which they
\nare holding, and the fewer ads which those newspapers contain,
\nare an unmistakable indication.<\/p>\n
A number of smaller newspapers and periodicals, especially in
\nthe provinces, are reported to have already been forced to close
\ndown. Others are close to meeting the same fate. In fact, even in
\nJakarta, some of the country's leading newspapers are feeling the
\ncrunch and have been forced to reduce the number of their pages
\nand take internal measures in order to increase their chances of
\nsurvival.<\/p>\n
For Indonesia's newspapers, the soaring price of newsprint has
\nbecome a threat -- a clear and present danger, more immediate and
\nmore feared by newspaper publishers than the dreaded possibility
\nof a revocation of their publishing licenses. After all, whereas
\na newspaper has to be judged guilty by the powers that be of
\nhaving in any way erred -- such as endangering public order or
\nstability -- in order to have its license revoked, the present
\ncrisis strikes without discrimination, though naturally the
\neconomically sound stand a better chance of surviving, for now.<\/p>\n
Economic and social implications aside, one may be tempted to
\nsee this as a kind of natural selection and hence beneficial, at
\nleast from the business point of view. One can, of course, hardly
\nargue against the point that, as in any business, financial and
\nmanagerial soundness must be among the main foundations on which
\na newspaper publication must rest. However, in a developing
\nsociety such as Indonesia, newspapers have a role to fulfill that
\ngoes beyond the mere provision of information. Providing the
\npublic with a range of alternative facts and views on current
\ndevelopments is one of those roles. Education is another. So is
\nentertainment.<\/p>\n
It is for this reason that the demise of a good and
\ninstructive newspaper, however small, is to be deeply regretted
\n-- not to mention the loss of employment at a time when every job
\nheld helps to soften the blow of the ongoing crisis and
\ncontributes to preventing a buildup of social tensions.
\nPresumably, there is little that newspaper publishers can do at
\nthis point to reverse the downward trend of their businesses. The
\nbest they can do as things stand now is to hope that the overall
\neconomic situation will soon take a turn for the better and
\nstabilize so that, at the very least, adjustments can be made on
\na more healthy basis.<\/p>\n
As for the future, it is to be hoped that the adjustments
\nwhich the reform package promises to bring will also better
\nguarantee an adequate newsprint supply to enable publishers --
\nand not only of the media but also others such as those of books
\nand scientific periodicals -- to better weather any crises which
\nthe future may bring.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-clear-and-present-danger-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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