Don't expect much from established media: Expert<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A communication specialist on Wednesday
\nencouraged the public to run what he called "underground media"
\nwhich would give them the access to the freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
Ashadi Siregar, a lecturer at Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity, said that people would only be able to express their
\nideas freely through underground sources since the established
\nmedia is constrained by a strong censorship mechanism.<\/p>\n
The "underground media" could take the forms of leaflets,
\nbulletins and cassettes, he said during a discussion on freedom
\nof the press.<\/p>\n
Organized by former journalists of the defunct Tempo weekly,
\nthe discussion was attended by around 200 participants.<\/p>\n
"Only the underground media can deliver uncensored
\ninformation," he said.<\/p>\n
He said that people could not expect much from the established
\nmedia, due to strong censorship by the government and also by
\npress institutions themselves.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian media, which is controlled by the government,
\npractices self-censorship.<\/p>\n
Since it was unlikely for the established media to freely
\npresent information, people must then read between the lines, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ashadi, as well as the other two speakers, poet Emha Ainun
\nNadjib and student activist E. Suprianto, raised concerns over
\nthe government's policy of controlling the press by requiring the
\nmedia to have a publishing license or SIUPP.<\/p>\n
According to the regulation, the media has to obtain a
\npublishing license. The minister of information has the authority
\nto revoke it if the media is considered "irresponsible."<\/p>\n
From the floor, former Tempo editor, Goenawan Mohamad, said
\nthat a SIUPP was becoming "rare and expensive."<\/p>\n
"It's only those who have money or power who can obtain it,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The government recently granted the SIUPP application for
\nGatra, which is partly owned by timber baron Mohamad (Bob) Hasan
\nand conglomerate owner Ciputra.<\/p>\n
The new magazine is run by a number of former journalists and
\nemployees of the Tempo weekly. The other former Tempo
\njournalists, who insist on having their own magazine, also
\napplied for a publishing license. However, there has not been any
\nanswer from the government.<\/p>\n
Goenawan said that press freedom was needed when
\nirregularities took place.<\/p>\n
"We would not have needed press freedom if Marsinah's case had
\nnot happened ...," he said citing an example.<\/p>\n
Before Tempo was banned in June, it ran a cover story on the
\ncase of labor activist Marsinah, who was killed following a
\ndemonstration staged to demand a rise in wages.<\/p>\n
Emha said that everyone had the right to develop their ideas
\nand it was the duty of the press to facilitate this. In this
\ncase, freedom of the press was necessary, he said.<\/p>\n
Boycott<\/p>\n
The poet and columnist said that he would not write for Gatra,
\nwhich made its debut Tuesday, in solidarity with the former Tempo
\njournalists who have yet to obtain the SIUPP for their new
\nmagazine, to be called Berita.<\/p>\n
He said his decision had nothing to do with the request of
\nprominent scholar Arief Budiman to boycott Gatra.<\/p>\n
Arief, a lecturer at the Satya Wacana Christian University,
\nhad appealed to former Tempo columnists not to write for Gatra
\nsince he believed that Gatra had been co-opted by vested
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
Emha said in the discussion that it was the right of former
\nTempo journalists "to feel afraid and to lose."<\/p>\n
"We have to give the journalists a chance to prove that
\nregardless of who the share holders are, they can still write
\nfreely and fairly," he said.<\/p>\n
In response to the Arief's boycott, Gatra spokesman Ed
\nZoelverdi said what Arief was trying to develop was a kind of
\ndemocracy which came from "a rotten heart".<\/p>\n
Earlier this week Emha, Ashadi and another intellectual Umar
\nKayam presented a joint statement on the state of the culture,
\ncalling on the people to be aware of a co-opted press.(sim)<\/p>",
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