Most Indonesian politicians loath to read<\/p>\n
Solita Sarwono, Psychologist, Wasenaar, The Netherlands<\/p>\n
One of the most significant changes brought by the \"reform\"
\nperiod is the increase of freedom of speech. The government has
\nbecome the prime target of various kinds of criticism coming from
\nexperts, students, women's groups and many others.<\/p>\n
Daily newspapers and weekly magazines frequently publish
\ncritical analyses on the country's situation. Yet the government
\nor the authorities hardly even respond to these critics. It feels
\nlike talking to a wall or screaming in an open field. Nobody
\nhears you. Frustrating.<\/p>\n
Don't these top officials and politicians read the papers?
\nMost likely no. Although many of the elite officials are very
\nwell educated, and many speak English, very few read the papers
\nthoroughly. They may get 3-4 different newspapers each day and a
\nnumber of weekly magazines at home and at the office, but they
\nonly read the headlines, skipping the articles or editorials
\ncontaining good analysis and reviews of the current situation.<\/p>\n
They are more inclined to react when interviewed on
\ntelevision. TV talk shows seem to be more effective in getting
\nthe message through to the decision makers and politicians as
\ncompared to comments and criticism in the printed media.<\/p>\n
How can we explain this phenomenon? One possible explanation
\nis the poor reading habits among Indonesians in general. Not many
\nIndonesians enjoy reading. Students' bags are stuffed with
\nreading materials, yet most of the books are dry and boring and
\nthe children feel that reading is compulsory, not for fun. This
\nsystem continues to the university level for most.<\/p>\n
Students are assigned to read a stack of textbooks, many of
\nthem in English, to be tested for exams. However, since very view
\nlecturers ask questions or analyze what is written in the
\ntextbooks, the students tend to ignore the reading assignment and
\nprefer to read the summary of the books made by fellow students
\nand photocopied for everyone interested. Only a handful of
\nstudents visit the library regularly. Reading, as a hobby, has
\nbecome less and less popular among Indonesians.<\/p>\n
One could argue that many youngsters often go to big
\nbookstores and spend one hour or longer, reading the materials on
\nthe racks. That is a valid observation. But let us take a look at
\nthe materials picked up by these school children and students.
\nComic strips! Or magazines with lots of pictures! In other words
\nthey are attracted by the pictures, not the words. This lack of
\ninterest or \"laziness\" for reading has worsened with the
\nintroduction of television and computer technology. Young and old
\nspend hours each day watching TV or playing computer games.<\/p>\n
It is fun to watch colorful advertisements, films, soap
\noperas, games and even talk shows. However, as everything on the
\nscreen is presented in the form of photos, animation or live
\nshows, very little is left to the imagination. Reading, however,
\nstimulates imagination and analytical capacity as the words only
\nprovide abstract concepts. Each reader must create a picture or
\nan understanding based on what is written. Reading is indeed a
\nmental exercise.<\/p>\n
One can assume that politicians or decision makers in
\nIndonesia did not grow up in an environment which encouraged
\nreading habits and therefore have little interest in reading and
\nanalyzing comments and criticism in the printed media. Talking is
\nmuch easier than reading or writing. That is why television talk
\nshows, especially the interactive programs, are very popular. But
\nTV programs are time-bound. It is aired at a certain time and
\nwhen you do not watch it at that exact time, you miss it, unless
\nit is repeated (like the commercials) or recorded. For this
\nmatter, printed media is far more advantageous. You can read at
\nyour convenience and at your own pace. Some read faster than
\nothers. Some take a half an hour, others may be an hour or more
\nto get through the papers and magazines. But that is the best
\npart. One is able to do it in their own time. The problem is,
\nmany politicians do not bother to take the time (or claim they do
\nnot have the time) to read the newspapers thoroughly. So anyone
\nwanting to continue using printed media as the channel to voice
\none's opinion and criticism toward politicians, please make it
\nshort and concise and if possible put some pictures in to catch
\nthe reader's attention.<\/p>",
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