Enhancing the press role<\/p>\n
Recent developments strike rather a disheartening note with
\nregards the weakening role of the media in Southeast Asia,
\nparticularly in Indonesia. An article written by a correspondent
\nfor the Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) in Bangkok and carried in
\nthis newspaper on Friday, Feb. 27, p.3 under the headline:
\nFreedom of the press under strong pressure in Southeast Asia,
\neffectively delineated the background for those fears. The lead
\nparagraph encapsulates the problem as we perceive it. The DPA
\njournalist writes: \"Freedom of the press, which flowered in
\nSoutheast Asian nations in the 1990s, now appears to be withering
\nunder pressure from authoritarian governments, corrupt judges and
\ncorporate interference ...\"<\/p>\n
Most probably, in the case of Indonesia, part of the problem
\nis caused by the euphoria that was created when President B.J.
\nHabibie's government, with a stroke of the pen in 1999 abrogated
\nthe regulations that hampered the freedom of the press. The very
\nrestrictive regulation decreed by the government of President
\nSoeharto that an official license was needed to publish a
\nmagazine or newspaper was suddenly removed.<\/p>\n
As President Habibie's minister of information, Lt. Gen. Yunus
\nYosfiah, a professional soldier with extensive combat experience
\nin East Timor, said at the time: \"If you want to publish a
\nnewspaper or a magazine tomorrow, go right ahead and don't bother
\nto ask for a license from my department.\" It just shows that an
\narmy officer, a veteran of the East Timor armed conflict, can
\nalso turn out to be a democrat.<\/p>\n
Looking back, that sudden freedom that the Indonesian press
\nenjoyed, which consisted not only of the abolition of the license
\nrequirement, but also the freedom to write and to disseminate
\nnews, sort of caught the Indonesian media unprepared. Apparently,
\nPresident Habibie's government assumed that with the termination
\nof the requirement, it had done the public a service and
\nestablished democracy overnight.<\/p>\n
As it turned out, with new publications emerging like
\nmushrooms after a rainstorm and television stations burgeoning,
\nthe demand for experienced reporters, sub-editors and editors
\nspecializing in a variety of subjects rose considerably, while at
\nthe same time the supply was extremely limited. One simply does
\nnot produce a good journalist overnight.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the reform movement was creating a situation
\nin which the legal institutions did not perform effectively and
\nsome business corporations in their greed for instant profits
\nopenly violated laws and regulations, often with the support, it
\nseemed, of some highly placed officials.<\/p>\n
Thus, an unavoidable collision course was set in motion
\nbetween an aggressive media that was testing the scope of its
\nnewly found freedom, and the forces that were out to benefit from
\nthe weakened government and legal institutions. The recent case
\nof the prominent businessman Tomy Winata, who filed several
\nlawsuits against the Tempo publishing group, reveals the
\nfragility of Indonesian media organizations.<\/p>\n
Unless the role of the Indonesian press can be strengthened
\nand improved within a relatively short time, it will be difficult
\nto expect that democracy in this country will experience a
\nhealthy if gradual development in the not too distant future. The
\nrole of a professionally competent press that is also strong in
\nthe business sense is essential for the development of political
\ndemocracy and good governance in Indonesia. As a recent
\nconference in Jakarta, organized by the United Nations Support
\nFacility for Indonesian Recovery (UNSFIR) shows, the range of
\nproblems faced by Indonesia since 1998 are indeed complex and
\nextensive. By organizing the conference on the theme: Lessons
\nfrom the Indonesian Transition -- Setting a Future Reform Agenda,
\nUNSFIR, headed by Dr. Satish Mishra, has provided a sort of road
\nmap that is very helpful for the Indonesian media in focusing its
\nattention on a number of strategic issues.<\/p>\n
The urgent question we are facing is: What program can be
\ndesigned and executed to enhance the role of the press so that it
\ncan become a relevant force in the growth of a democratic
\nIndonesia with good governance? A number of international
\norganizations have already shown an interest in helping to push
\nthe development of the Indonesian press forward. It seems that
\nwhat is needed is a comprehensive program combining what is
\ncurrently being done, and an extension of programs with adequate
\nfunding in order to achieve a respectable and sustainable
\nprogress.<\/p>\n
First, a survey needs to be prepared to determine what can be
\ndone in the short term. Obviously, existing journalism schools
\nand training institutions, the number of which does not exceed
\nfive, need to be given assistance. They need effective help in
\nimproving their curricula and in finding experienced instructors,
\nincreasing their operational funds and expanding their libraries.
\nFurther, workshops of at least two weeks should be held in a
\nnumber of areas in Indonesia in order to enhance the competence
\nof journalists in both the print and electronic media in a
\nrelatively short time. What seems to be most important is the
\ndevising of some sort of legal mechanism that would protect the
\nIndonesian media from undue harassment and threats.<\/p>\n
Since obviously we cannot expect international organizations
\nto directly manage the program, perhaps a new indigenous
\ninstitution led by a respected media leader such as Jakob Oetama
\nof the Kompas Group would be appropriate to lead it.
\nThat institution could then prompt international organizations to
\nprovide assistance in various forms and to put together a
\nrealistic and effective program.<\/p>\n
We should seriously strive to develop a media in Indonesia
\nthat competently focuses its efforts on a number of strategic
\nissues in the coming five years, so that political democracy and
\nsocial justice through good governance can be achieved.<\/p>",
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