Press academy starts reporting course<\/p>\n
By R. Fadjri<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): A learning center imparting journalistic
\nskills stands tall in the center of Umbulmartani village, located
\nbetween Yogyakarta and the tourist area Kaliurang.<\/p>\n
The LP3Y campus, located at the Yogyakarta Institute of
\nResearch and Publishing Education, was launched on Dec. 19, 1996.<\/p>\n
In anticipation of the year 2001, LP3Y Director Ashadi Siregar
\nand three of his associates -- Daniel Dhakidae, Masmimar
\nMangiang, and Hotman Siahaan -- established the LP3Y campus to
\nsupport all the institute's activities.<\/p>\n
LP3Y was established in 1977 by a number of student activists,
\nincluding Ashadi Siregar, Hotman Siahaan, Amir Efendi Siregar and
\nMasmimar Mangiang.<\/p>\n
Since LP3Y is a private institute which is trying hard to
\nrealize and develop a free press as well as democracy among the
\npeople, it plays a unique role in the area of press education in
\nIndonesia. These ideals were formulated through adopting the
\nstandards of journalism, democracy and human rights.<\/p>\n
"Professional and liberated journalism could become a factor
\nin the development of democratic life," said Ashadi.<\/p>\n
On the one hand, LP3Y is running pragmatic activities, like
\npractical instruction of journalism (mass communication). On the
\nother hand, however, it is also developing democratic values
\nthrough education about the press and human rights in society.<\/p>\n
According to Ashadi, it is impossible to separate journalism
\nfrom a free press as demanded by the public, who like to see
\ntangible facts published by the press.<\/p>\n
LP3Y teaches standard journalism to budding reporters. These
\ncourses were started in 1982.The institute has designed a course
\nwhich does not fall into the staioard category as can be found in
\nformal education. This standard often proves to be a hindrance,
\nmaterializing in the form of passive attitudes among those taking
\nsuch a course. This could have been caused by a one-way teacher-
\nstudent interaction which does not encourage criticism.<\/p>\n
Realizing this, LP3Y has made efforts to foster active two-way
\ninteraction. An educative program has been designed using
\nmanuals, components and a timetable. The participants are divided
\ninto groups of five or six people and are flanked by assistants.<\/p>\n
LP3Y started its journalism program with very simple means.
\nThe institute gave lessons in an old garage measuring six meters
\nby nine meters. Equipment consisted of old typewriters complete
\nwith benches and a long working table.<\/p>\n
Students worked from dawn to dusk to meet their publication's
\nestablished deadline. The institute succeeded in running four
\ncurricular programs in the garage. Later, LP3Y moved into larger
\nquarters, although it still had to rent the new place. The long
\nbenches are gone now and have been replaced with folding chairs,
\ncomputers and air-conditioned rooms.<\/p>\n
But nothing has changed in terms of the students' workload.
\nThe students still have to go through the work of reporting,
\ncomprising news coverage, writing, interviewing, designing and
\nrunning a publication.<\/p>\n
Their home paper appears every Saturday. Before the days of
\ncomputers, articles were typed out and then copied.<\/p>\n
Today, LP3Y is in its ninth educational program, with 20
\nstudents enrolled. The course takes six months. At least 17
\npublishing firms have benefited from the academy's curriculum.<\/p>\n
Aside from providing a course in journalism for would-be
\nreporters, the academy also provides two-month courses for
\nseasoned journalists designed to elevate them to an editor level.<\/p>\n
These exercises consist of media management for public
\nrelations personnel, exercises in cooperation with public
\nrelations employees, lessons on how to write about AIDS and
\nfields of specialization.<\/p>\n
At the new campus, LP3Y has introduced a course on cultural
\nreporting, which includes journalistic values in the social and
\ncultural context. It is an important concept that should pit
\npragmatic journalistic acumen against public support.<\/p>\n
"A professional journalist would be nobody if he found himself
\nin a crowd that did not appreciate journalism," commented Ashadi.<\/p>\n
To activate the concept, the new center is running several
\nactivities for journalism students whose main job is to hone the
\npublic's awareness of the media. Some of the activities consist
\nof putting feelers out in the media, engaging the public, and
\ncreating appreciation for journalism through cultural
\npublications.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, the struggle in Indonesian towards a free press has
\nbegun within a public institution. When people have made the
\npress a part of their lives, the media will gain the public's
\nfull support in becoming a free press in the real sense.<\/p>",
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