'People power' needed to push for TV ethics<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Sex and violence color television shows every day, with most TV
\nstations screening programs with such content. Apart from
\nrelatively low production costs, the programs are among those
\nmost watched. However, many members of the public are concerned
\nabout it. The Jakarta Post's Sunday edition discusses the issue.<\/p>\n
A few TV stations recently staged, filmed and broadcast a
\nreenactment of the rape and burning to death of an eight-year-old
\ngirl by two boys in Bogor, West Java.<\/p>\n
Exploitation of violence and sex is also common in soap
\noperas, called sinema elektronik or sinetron here.<\/p>\n
Many parents, especially mothers, worry about influence such
\nprograms might have on their children as many of the programs are
\naired in the morning or during prime time at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"Theoretically, (pictures or films depicting) violence can
\nhave a negative influence, especially on children. They could
\nimitate it,\" University of Indonesia psychologist Nelden
\nDjakababa said.<\/p>\n
Nelden, who is also a counselor at the Pulih Foundation trauma
\ncenter, said images of violence often prolonged the recovery
\nprocess of trauma victims.<\/p>\n
She suggested that parents watch television with their
\nchildren so they can monitor their viewing.<\/p>\n
However, spending time with children has become a luxury for
\nworking mothers and fathers, especially in big cities. Many
\nchildren watch television with housemaids, who mostly are not
\naware or don't care about the impact television can have on
\nyoungsters.<\/p>\n
A veteran television presenter and producer said crime
\nprograms that contain sex and violence promised big earnings for
\nTV stations given their low production costs and high ratings.<\/p>\n
With fewer than 10 crew members, a TV station can produce one
\ncrime program per week. Given the high ratings of the programs,
\nmany companies scramble to place ads during the programs.<\/p>\n
With competition tight among stations, such programs are a
\nsafe bet for generating revenue and covering high operating
\ncosts. Many stations simply ignore any negative impacts the
\nprograms have.<\/p>\n
In an effort to reduce the bad impacts, the newly established
\nIndonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has issued broadcasting
\nguidelines, which, among other things, disallows TV stations from
\ntaking closeups of victims of violence, accidents and natural
\ndisasters.<\/p>\n
The guidelines also stipulate that faces of victims of crime
\nshould be blurred for broadcasting.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Television Journalists Association has also
\nestablished a code of conduct, which bars members from airing
\n\"overly violent\" images.<\/p>\n
However, no TV station seems to care about the regulations or
\nthe code of conduct as they carry no punishment. For the TV
\nstations, ratings are king.<\/p>\n
Media observer and executive director of Jurnal Perempuan
\n(Women's Journal) Adriana Venny said the lack of punitive
\nmeasures and public ignorance contributed to the mushrooming of
\nTV programs that exploit violence and sex.<\/p>\n
\"In many developed countries, TV stations are fined for airing
\nsuch programs outside the designated time frame. Here, TV
\nstations are free to do as they please as there is no such
\nregulation on the time frame for such programs,\" Venny said.<\/p>\n
She thus suggested the public protest against any TV station
\nthat exploits violence or sex.<\/p>\n
She said Jurnal Perempuan, along with other non-governmental
\norganizations, once campaigned to urge parents to send letters to
\na private TV station calling for the suspension of a violent
\nsinetron.<\/p>\n
After receiving many protest letters, the station finally
\ndropped the sinetron, which was about a female teenager who was
\nabused by her father and then sold as a prostitute.<\/p>\n
It is but one small example, but it proves that the public, if
\nwilling, can do something to stop the airing of TV programs that
\ncould harm people, especially children.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/people-power-needed-to-push-for-tv-ethics-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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