JP\/03\/TV<\/p>\n
Candidates polish up to look good on screen<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
In the run-up to the 30-day presidential campaign, television
\nviewers were given the rare opportunity to watch presidential
\ncandidates try to outwit one another in a series of televised
\ndebates and special programs outlining their respective
\nplatforms.<\/p>\n
During the programs, candidates also took questions from the
\naudience that sometimes touched on sensitive issues.<\/p>\n
In what in many ways was an unprecedented development, some
\npresidential candidates fielded questions from audience members
\nthat were tough and sometimes personal.<\/p>\n
Candidate Hamzah Haz, for example, was asked by a female
\nstudent during a recorded program, \"How many wives do you have
\nsir\". The vice president appeared indecisive and indirectly
\nreplied that he had two wives. However, Hamzah is said to have
\nfour wives.<\/p>\n
In another program, TV panelists were given the microphone and
\nproceeded to criticize some of the candidates' campaign themes,
\nsuch as shooting corruptors.<\/p>\n
However, what appeared on the television screen often belied
\nwhat went on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
The debates were in fact well staged by the television
\nstations, at times with help from the campaign teams of the
\nrespective presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
A debate organizer at Trans TV said she had to send lists of
\nquestions for screening by the presidential candidates before the
\ndebates were taped.<\/p>\n
\"They apparently did not want to have difficult questions
\nsprung on them,\" she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
However, she said not all of the candidates imposed such
\nconditions.<\/p>\n
\"As far as I am concerned, only Wiranto imposed tough
\nconditions. A member of his campaign team even asked us to scrap
\nquestions from Munir,\" she said, referring to a noted human
\nrights activist and a staunch critic of the Indonesian Military.<\/p>\n
She added that members of Wiranto's campaign team also
\nintervened in the editing of the taped debate.<\/p>\n
Wiranto's camp also reportedly disapproved of the inclusion of
\nsociologist Imam Prasodjo as a panelist at a talk show organized
\nby RCTI. Wiranto denied that he made such a request regarding the
\nvocal scholar.<\/p>\n
Aside from the demands of the Wiranto team, Trans TV
\napparently did not have any problems staging the debates.<\/p>\n
In collaboration with a number of state universities across
\nJava, the television station was able to present a lively series
\nof presidential debates.<\/p>\n
Rosiana Silalahi of SCTV said conditions imposed by the
\ncandidates would not compromise her station's commitment to
\nportraying them as they are.<\/p>\n
\"Before deciding whether to attend the presidential debate,
\nthe candidates usually ask us such questions as whether it will
\nbe live or recorded and who will be sitting on the panel,\" she
\nsaid. Rosiana said that none of presidential candidates or their
\ncampaign teams were allowed to interfere in the editing of the
\ndebates.<\/p>\n
\"We have to give equal treatment to all candidates. Once we
\nlet one candidate take part in the editing, we would have to give
\nother candidates the same opportunity. We decided not to give any
\nof them this opportunity, and they understood that,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Rosiana said most of the candidates were very careful about
\npreparing for the debates, and added that the televised debates
\nand other election-related news programs fared well in terms of
\nratings.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp03tv-1447899208",
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