Critics accuse media of 'trial by the press'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The trial of a man charged with the murder of a
\nwoman and her three children in Bekasi has just begun.<\/p>\n
But spectators attending the second hearing on Monday at East
\nJakarta district court have already condemned the suspect.<\/p>\n
\"Just shoot the murderer,\" was among the jeers overheard as
\nthe suspect was brought into the courtroom under tight security.<\/p>\n
Millions of people became familiar with the details of the
\nBekasi murders when it unfolded in the media last October.
\nSympathy flowed in for the widowed teacher left with two of five
\nchildren.<\/p>\n
Other shocking acts have followed, such as an alleged robbery
\nand attempted rape in another part of Bekasi, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Television audiences have been able to follow accounts of the
\nsuspects themselves as television cameras and microphones hovered
\naround police officers questioning suspects.<\/p>\n
\"This is no problem, as long as suspects do not face the
\ncamera,\" said Ashadi Siregar, who runs a journalism school in
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
As the Indonesian press celebrated National Press Day
\nyesterday, critics claimed that the exposure of the case has
\nbecome \"trial by the press\".<\/p>\n
Before the trials of the Bekasi murder began, noted lawyer
\nLuhut Pangaribuan criticized the coverage of a press conference
\non the crime, which was held by the police.<\/p>\n
The images of the suspects, identified as Philipus, his wife
\nand three minors, were splashed all over television screens and
\nprinted media pages.<\/p>\n
Luhut said the media could have at least blacked out the eyes
\nof the suspects.<\/p>\n
He told The Jakarta Post that such exposure, together with
\ncountless comments on the case, can negatively influence public
\nopinion.<\/p>\n
\"The opinion of the public is set\" before the judiciary is
\ngiven a chance, he said, because of the length of time from the
\nunveiling of the crime, to police questioning, to court
\nproceedings.<\/p>\n
Fearing an effect on the views of judges, Luhut said this
\ninfluence should be used in a balanced manner.<\/p>\n
Balanced reporting, he said, could function as a control for
\njudges to make a fair decision.<\/p>\n
The full exposure of suspects has been made possible by a
\nchange in the journalistic code of ethics, issued in late 1994 by
\nthe Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI).<\/p>\n
Syamsul Basri, the head of the honorary board of the
\nassociation, told the Post that the change was made in order to
\neducate the public.<\/p>\n
\"The press can teach people that a person questioned by the
\npolice is not necessarily a criminal, but a suspect.\"<\/p>\n
Syamsul said it may take time for people to grasp the
\ndifference, judging from instances such as riots targeting
\nsuspects.<\/p>\n
\"But if the press sticks to referring to suspects as suspects,
\nand crimes as alleged crimes before being determined otherwise by
\nthe court, in time we hope the public will learn presumption of
\ninnocence.\"<\/p>\n
Besides, he said, clear identification is needed to avoid
\nmistaken identity by the public.<\/p>\n
But a legal expert on the press, Loebby Loqman, earlier warned
\nthat identity exposure is not the main problem of potential trial
\nby the press.<\/p>\n
Loebby, also a member of the PWI honorary board, said the
\npress must avoid making judgments in reporting. He said this
\ninfluences the public which may not be able to differentiate the
\nlegal status of suspects.<\/p>\n
Ashadi said that charges of trial by the press often do not
\ndifferentiate coverage before and after legal proceedings. \"The
\nterm only refers to reporting during legal proceedings,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to the journalistic code of ethics, trial by the
\npress during a trial can bring charges of contempt of court.<\/p>\n
\"I have not seen instances where disputing parties pay the
\npress to make reports in their favor while court proceedings are
\ngoing on,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Exploring and exposing all possible sources before trials
\nbegin, he said, is the right of the press, as long as reports are
\nbalanced.<\/p>\n
The spokesman of the Jakarta Police Headquarters, Lt. Col.
\nIman Haryatna, complained that reporters often jump to
\nconclusions before police detectives gather their findings.<\/p>\n
\"Reports say 'rape' when it might have been a rape attempt,\"
\nhe cited.<\/p>\n
A staff member at a private television station admitted to
\ntendencies of biased reporting of criminal cases.<\/p>\n
\"Reporters are also human, they are disturbed by sadistic
\ncrimes which happen over and over again,\" says Eduard Depari of
\nprivate TV station RCTI.<\/p>\n
The legal system is weak, \"so the press aims to form public
\nopinion which will push authorities into being more serious about
\ncatching offenders and punishing them\", said Eduard, who is also
\na mass communications expert from the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Whatever the controversy about crime coverage, he said, it is
\na safe area of reporting.<\/p>\n
\"Publishing permits have never been withdrawn for news about
\nsex and violence.\" The withdrawal of permits is the most feared
\nthreat of the media.<\/p>\n
Rahadi Sutoyo, an editor at the Suara Karya daily, said
\ncharges of trial by the press may carry some truth, but this is
\nfed by public demand.<\/p>\n
This demand is the thirst for sensational news, in the absence
\nof reports on sensitive issues.<\/p>\n
\"We're a sick society. Where is our sense of humor? We haven't
\nhad April Fool's news since the 1980s, in which we used to make
\nfun of authorities. Nowadays such news would be immediately
\ngreeted with suspicion,\" said Rahadi.<\/p>\n
He asks, \"Is it a surprise that the media sticks to safe news
\nthat sells?\" (anr\/05)<\/p>",
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