Experts suggest ombudsman for media<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In light of increasing libel suits against the press, experts are
\nsuggesting that media enterprises establish an ombudsman to
\nexamine the news before publication and to mediate in case of
\ncomplaints.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the Press Council, R.H. Siregar, told The
\nJakarta Post on Wednesday that it would be wise for every media
\nenterprise to have an unit to ensure that all of their news
\nadheres to the basic principles of journalism, including the
\ncross-checking of potentially libelous information.<\/p>\n
\"The ombudsman unit would also have the task of investigating
\nany violations of the journalists' code of ethics,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The unit should be independent of the editorial board, but
\ncould consist of senior or former editors of the company, besides
\nother media experts, Siregar added.<\/p>\n
Interviewed separately, Hinca I.P. Panjaitan from the
\nIndonesia Media Law and Policy Center said that an ombudsman
\nwould help in finding a more simple and effective settlement of
\nlibel complaints.<\/p>\n
\"The settlement would be based on the right to respond in
\naccordance with the Press Law, not on fines or imprisonment as
\nstipulated in the Criminal Code,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Currently only a few media enterprises have such an ombudsman,
\nincluding Jawa Pos, which settled a libel complaint made by
\nformer chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad),
\nLt. Gen. Djaja Suparman, in an article that hinted at his
\ninvolvement in the 2002 Bali bombings, by publishing a response
\nfrom Suparman.<\/p>\n
The country's media has been under fire in recent libel
\nlawsuits from state officials and businessmen, the indictments of
\nwhich were based on the Criminal Code, not the Press Law.<\/p>\n
On May 17, a court ordered Tempo magazine cofounder Goenawan
\nMohamad to publish an apology to well-connected tycoon Tomy
\nWinata in a libel suit. In January, another court ordered the
\nKoran Tempo daily to pay a US$1 million fine to Tomy, while last
\nDecember the same court also ordered the daily to publicly
\napologize to the owner of the ailing Texmaco group, Marimutu
\nSinivasan.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Trust weekly was ordered to pay a fine of
\nRp 1 billion ($111,111) for defaming businessman John Hamenda and
\nhis company PT Petindo Perkasa.<\/p>\n
Journalists and editors of the Rakyat Merdeka daily were
\nconvicted last year of defaming President Megawati and House of
\nRepresentatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.<\/p>\n
Ignatius Haryanto of the Institute for Press Freedom and
\nDevelopment Studies (LSPP) said that the recent cases indicated
\nthat many media enterprises had not yet realized the importance
\nof an ombudsman.<\/p>\n
\"Such a committee would not muzzle press freedom by becoming a
\nform of self-censorship, as it would only act as an advisor to
\nthe editorial board and could not interfere with any editorial
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
\"The final word -- and responsibility -- would still be the
\nboard's,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, concerning the Press Law, Siregar said that Law No.
\n40\/1999 needed to be amended, as it did not incorporate specific
\nstipulations concerning libel.<\/p>\n
Hinca, however, said that the Press Law needed no amendment.<\/p>\n
\"What is needed now is familiarization with the concept of
\npeople's right to respond and to convey that understanding to the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
\"The basic philosophy underlying the media and the Press Law
\nis 'words against words', not 'words versus imprisonment',\" he
\nremarked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/experts-suggest-ombudsman-for-media-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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