Military content with media's riots coverage<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) announced yesterday the
\nmedia coverage of the recent riots is still within tolerable
\nlimits but warned the media often overexpose individual
\nincidents.<\/p>\n
ABRI Sociopolitical Affairs Chief Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid said
\nthe media coverage has contributed positively to the campaign to
\nimprove people's awareness of the need for interreligious
\nharmony.<\/p>\n
\"But in some cases, journalists have often sought other angles
\n(than those put forward by the government) and unfortunately this
\nhas led to overexposure,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Syarwan made the remarks after a closed meeting with senior
\neditors. Neither Syarwan nor the editors would reveal what they
\ndiscussed.<\/p>\n
The meeting gave rise to speculation that the government was
\nnot happy with the way the media described the recent spate of
\nethnic and religious conflicts in Java and West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Such conflicts are highly sensitive in the multiethnic and
\nmultireligious Indonesia. They have happened in Situbondo,
\nTasikmalaya and Rengasdengklok on Java and in several places in
\nWest Kalimantan in the last four months.<\/p>\n
Syarwan declined to be specific when asked if the government
\nwould warn any individual newspapers or broadcasters over their
\ncoverage of the unrest.<\/p>\n
\"We did not discuss particular cases,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The meeting was part of a series the government has planned.
\nToday, ABRI officers will meet with community leaders to discuss
\nsimilar issues, he said.<\/p>\n
Jacob Oetama, chief editor of the Kompas daily said that he
\nagreed the domestic media should be careful in reporting issues
\nrelated to religion and ethnicity.<\/p>\n
News coverage, he said, should aim to help cool the situation
\nand not add fuel to the fire.<\/p>\n
Separately, communications expert M. Budhyatna expressed his
\nconcern over the quality of the Indonesian media, describing it
\nas \"not yet mature.\"<\/p>\n
In the coverage of recent unrest, he pointed out, it was
\napparent newspapers and broadcasters were affected by the
\ninterests of the groups they are associated with.<\/p>\n
\"Group interests are still very much involved in the way the
\nmedia are covering the riots, especially the Tasikmalaya and
\nSitubondo incidents,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"In the aftermath of both riots, there is no such thing as a
\npress representing Islam because the riots divided the Moslem
\ncommunity,\" Budhyatna said.<\/p>\n
He said that in general the domestic media is still weak in
\nterms of human resources, facilities, capital and management
\nquality.<\/p>\n
\"Some media outlets will be lucky to survive,\" Budhyatna, the
\ndean of the University of Indonesia's School of Social and
\nPolitical Sciences.<\/p>\n
\"This weakness has prevented the media from realizing its
\nideals as a moral force. The mission is blurred by business
\nand group interests.\"<\/p>\n
The domestic media, he said, also still lacks complete freedom
\nof expression. (35)<\/p>",
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