Bogus journalists demand bonus<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people claiming to be journalists have flooded
\noffices in the North Sumatra capital city of Medan to demand Idul
\nFitri bonuses, many of them using coercion in their requests.<\/p>\n
Their presence caused concern among local officials who
\nrefused to go to work, to avoid the \"reporters\".<\/p>\n
Sakhyan Asmara, who heads the sports and youth affairs
\ndepartment at the North Sumatra education office, said on
\nThursday it was not unusual for phony journalists to swarm
\ngovernment offices here ahead of the Idul Fitri, Christmas and
\nNew Year holidays.<\/p>\n
This has tarnished the image of journalists as professionals,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes they force us to give them money or valuables,\"
\nSakhyan told The Jakarta Post in Medan.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, a man claiming to be a reporter with the Medan
\nSumatra newspaper demanded money from a local official.<\/p>\n
The man followed the official into his office at the
\ngubernatorial building compound.<\/p>\n
Security guards were unsuccessful in their attempts to remove
\nthe\"journalist\" from the office and resorted to violence.<\/p>\n
Hours after the incident, a group of people claiming to be
\njournalists rallied at the governor's office in a show of support
\nfor the man.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, only about 50 percent of officials went to work
\nat the gubernatorial building, for fear that a similar incident
\nwould take place.<\/p>\n
The bogus journalists have also caused concern to the North
\nSumatra chapter of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI).<\/p>\n
Muchyan A.A., who chairs the executive board of PWI in the
\nprovince, said genuine journalists would never ask for money
\nwhile on the job.<\/p>\n
\"Based on our data, there are currently about 2,000 people
\nclaiming to be journalists across Medan. Some of them are
\nhoodlums and commercial sex workers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the bogus journalists often claimed to work for
\nJakarta-based newspapers and were equipped with fake ID cards.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes they blackmail bureaucrats who are facing legal
\ncases. They could earn between Rp 10 million and Rp 40 million
\nfrom those officials,\" Muchyan added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bogus-journalists-demand-bonus-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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