Media told to use own spectacles<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday the local
\nmedia used a "foreign way of thinking" in reporting events in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
"Foreign values are increasingly used by local media in
\ncovering Indonesian affairs," the President said at a ceremony at
\nthe State Palace marking the 51st anniversary of the Indonesian
\npress.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto said local journalists should use their own
\n"spectacles" to see what was happening in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He said he believed a foreign perspective was inappropriate
\nbecause it did not take Indonesian values into account.<\/p>\n
The foreign perspective was characterized by dramatizing
\nevents, reaching hasty conclusions on events and imbalanced
\nreporting, he said.<\/p>\n
"With their inappropriate foreign spectacles, the media have
\nreported current events. As a result people are worried and
\nconfused in facing changes," he said.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of Information
\nHarmoko, Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher, Association
\nof Indonesian Journalists chief Sofyan Lubis and senior editors
\nattended the ceremony.<\/p>\n
The President said the Indonesian press played a significant
\nrole in the nation's struggle for independence.<\/p>\n
He cited reporters' ability to uphold the national ideology,
\nPancasila, in the 1950's, help enforce national sovereignty in
\nthe 1960's and enhance the public's intellect in the years after
\nIndonesia's national development programs.<\/p>\n
Pancasila, which literally means the five tenets, consists of
\nbelief in almighty God, humanity, national unity, consensus
\nthrough deliberation and social justice.<\/p>\n
The president said the media's involvement in national
\ndevelopment during those times often included reporters combining
\nmilitary duty with writing.<\/p>\n
He said there was a need to uphold the Pancasila spirit,
\ninstill the journalistic code of ethics among journalists,
\nespecially those who never experienced the struggle for
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
The President reiterated the need for "free but responsible
\npress" to counter the flow of global information and the
\nchallenges of a global free market economy.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged the responsibility the national press had to
\nalert the public to opportunities and threats affecting
\ndevelopment in the face of increasing global competition.<\/p>\n
The President said the local media had an important role to
\nplay in nation building but had no special position in society.<\/p>\n
"The press has no privilege like a state institution," he said<\/p>\n
He said one of the press' obligations was to improve public
\nawareness of foreign values streaming into Indonesia as
\ntechnology makes countries borderless in terms of information
\nflow.<\/p>\n
"When foreign values enter the country, then it's the media's
\nobligation to provide an early warning to the public," he said.
\n"They should show the public how to repulse unwanted values."<\/p>\n
Harmoko also spoke and reminded the media of its role in
\nfiltering incoming information.<\/p>\n
The minister said the media should be wiser in selecting
\nreports and make sure only positive articles were published.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sofyan Lubis acknowledged that some local media
\nwere "biased and twisted facts."<\/p>\n
This year's press anniversary will be marked mostly by
\nseminars in Jakarta. (01)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/media-told-to-use-own-spectacles-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }