Media revels in fiesta of democracy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): With the race to lure voters in this year's
\ngeneral election officially kicking off on Wednesday, another
\nfervent rivalry takes place on the sideline contesting the mass
\nmedia covering the event.<\/p>\n
As an example, the respected daily Kompas, has dedicated four
\npages every day to the election process over the past two weeks.
\nWith nearly 90 reporters, photographers and researchers, the
\ncountry's largest circulating newspaper fills the four pages with
\na wide range of items, including results of its straw polls.<\/p>\n
Private stations SCTV and RCTI, offer almost an identical
\npackage comprising election journals, breaking news, live
\nbroadcasts and teleconferences plus a day-by-day report of
\nreturns. Both are fielding a huge team, numbering up to 100 crew
\nmembers each.<\/p>\n
\"It has been our tradition to cover a major event in a special
\npackage. There are a record 48 parties contesting the elections,
\nwhich for the first time since 32 years are arranged by non-
\ngovernmental institutions,\" SCTV news director Riza Primadi said
\nrecently.<\/p>\n
The station's election coverage, starting from May 14 through
\nJune 14, takes most of the portion of its Liputan 6 news program
\nwhich is aired three times a day. Each program lasts one hour.<\/p>\n
Riza said SCTV built three mini studios in Medan, Yogyakarta
\nand Surabaya, from which live shows outside Jakarta will be
\nbroadcast.<\/p>\n
Unlike SCTV, the country's leading private TV channel, RCTI,
\nhas leased two rooms at the Wisata Hotel in Central Jakarta for
\nits home base until after the balloting day. A mini studio, from
\nwhich election journals and live shows will be broadcast, will
\nstart operating on Friday until June 11. Each journal will shave
\nhalf an hour off its daily news program which is aired midday,
\nevening and midnight.<\/p>\n
Apart from election journals, a two-minute election news clip
\nwill be inserted in its hourly breaking news every day.<\/p>\n
Producer of RCTI election coverage, Edy Sucipto, said on
\nWednesday the station deployed a 150 member team in Jakarta
\nalone. He said his team would update the ballot counting every
\ntwo hours each day starting from June 7.<\/p>\n
\"Apart from Jakarta, we will specifically monitor the ballot
\ncounting in troubled provinces of Aceh and East Timor plus
\nSurabaya, which represents the urban community,\" Edy said.<\/p>\n
Edy said the special coverage had so far attracted
\nadvertisements worth Rp 1.5 billion (US$187,500), although the
\ncoverage is not classified as a special issue to invite sponsors.<\/p>\n
\"It just a matter of good ratings. Everybody is now absorbed
\nin the elections,\" Edy said.<\/p>\n
While rivals compete with each other, Indosiar, the country's
\nyoungest channel, opts for a low profile. Its spokesman, Gufroni
\nSakaril, said Wednesday the station formed a smaller team of 23
\nreporters and 26 cameramen who would cover mostly Jakarta and its
\nsurrounding areas.<\/p>\n
\"We don't place our crew outside Jakarta, except for an
\nextraordinary event which needs deep coverage. But the dispatch
\nof a team is restricted to towns in which we have built a
\ntransmitter,\" Gufroni said.<\/p>\n
The election report will be broadcast during its news program
\ncalled Fokus, which is aired twice a day. \"Around 60 percent of
\nFokus will be allotted for election news,\" Gufroni said.<\/p>\n
He said that in line with its commitment to balance coverage,
\nIndosiar allocated each political party 30 minutes to socialize
\nwith the public. The program, called Demokrasi 99 started on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The station has also aired an interactive program called
\nJurdil 99 every Saturday night since April 10. It features an
\nelection-related talk show and a question and answer session with
\naudiences via telephone.<\/p>\n
All the crew members of the three TV channels are protected
\nwith insurance during their term of duties.<\/p>\n
\"Who knows what will happen to them on the field,\" SCTV
\ndirector Riza said.<\/p>\n
The general election, touted as the most democratic one in the
\ncountry in the past three decades, puts Indonesia under world
\nscrutiny. Foreign media will represent the international
\ncommunity's presence to watch the event.<\/p>\n
Noted worldwide news agency Reuters is fielding about 30
\ntelevision crew, photographers and journalists to cover the
\nelection process here.<\/p>\n
With 48 parties contesting, the news agency will focus on
\npolitical and economic issues dealing with several influential
\nand big parties, Jonathan Thatcher, Reuters bureau chief here
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"I saw the campaign at Merdeka square (on Wednesday). Well, I
\nthink many people hope for the poll process to be a fair and
\npeaceful one. But we don't know what will happen tomorrow, do
\nwe?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Some of the crew stay at hotels close to the office's base on
\nJl. Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, such as Aryaduta and
\nMandarin.<\/p>\n
\"Our crew will also travel around the country. Let's hope
\nwe'll have great coverage,\" Thatcher said.<\/p>\n
Another foreign media, BBC World Service, is revamping its
\nIndonesian web site to make extra news bulletins available in
\nreal audio.<\/p>\n
The redesigned site, which was launched on Wednesday,
\nincreases the broadcasts available from 30 minutes to two hours.
\nThe two main hour-long programs, including a newly introduced 15-
\nminute election special, broadcasts from 13.45 to 14.00 GMT and
\nwill be accessible on the web straight after they are broadcasted
\non air.<\/p>\n
The new site is available at www.bbc.co.uk\/indonesian.<\/p>\n
Kompas set up a big team to anticipate the large news
\ncoverage, one of its reporters, Pepih Nugraha, said.<\/p>\n
\"We have 44 reporters in Jakarta plus 44 more from regions
\nacross the country,\" he said, adding that the team combined
\nreporters from different beats.<\/p>\n
\"We aim to give our readers a complete, comprehensive and
\nunique coverage,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As for Suara Pembaruan, the evening daily, the election
\ncoverage involves all its reporters and correspondents.<\/p>\n
\"So, apart from special pages dedicated for election news, we
\nhave election-related news in every section of our daily,\" the
\ndaily's political desk editor, Sabar Subekti, said.<\/p>\n
Both Kompas and Suara Pembaruan do not provide their reporters
\nwith a base camp outside their respective offices.<\/p>\n
English newspaper, the Indonesian Observer, picked only five
\nreporters and two photographers to cover the \"fiesta of
\ndemocracy\" in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We work as a small team,\" Observer's Bambang Murbianto, said.
\n(edt\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/media-revels-in-fiesta-of-democracy-1447893297",
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