Press freedom will need 'brains, sweat and tears'<\/p>\n
By Wirasti Wiryono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Mass communications expert M. Budyatna praised
\nthe Indonesian press yesterday for continuing to produce
\nobjective reports despite the tight regulations of the 1982 Press
\nLaw.<\/p>\n
The dean of the University of Indonesia's School of Social and
\nPolitical Sciences described how the press still needed to work
\nhard in order to overcome social, economic and political
\nchallenges.<\/p>\n
\"The press needs brains, sweat and tears to remain
\nindependent,\" he told The Jakarta Post .<\/p>\n
Indonesia commemorates National Press Day on Feb. 9. This year
\nthe date coincided with the Moslem holiday of Idul Fitri so it is
\nbeing marked today.<\/p>\n
Budyatna said the press has prospered economically over the
\nlast ten years, but acknowledged that \"the freedom of the press\"
\nremained restricted by the law.<\/p>\n
He also said the print media had been coping with stiff
\ncompetition from rival publications, television and radio --
\nincluding the overseas networks CNN, Star TV, ABC -- and the
\nInternet. The print media remains able to offer objective news
\nsought after by an increasingly educated, knowledgeable and
\ncritical public in search of facts and solutions.<\/p>\n
There is also the added challenge for the press to stay within
\nthe guidelines of the national ideology Pancasila in order to
\nsurvive, he said. Pancasila consists of five principles: belief
\nin God, humanity, national unity, consensus through deliberation
\nand social justice.<\/p>\n
\"In these ever-changing times, the idea of patriotism is no
\nlonger measured by fiery slogans but rather by the ability to
\nfacilitate development that will create real prosperity for
\nmany,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He cited the benefits of greater media exposure to rural
\nareas, a segment of the population that must not be overlooked as
\nit too has a voice in the country's development.<\/p>\n
The rural population, more educated but still comparatively
\npoor, comprises 65 percent of the country's population of 200
\nmillion. The needs of this \"silent majority,\" according to
\nBudyatna, must be taken into account in order to prevent unrest.<\/p>\n
Budyatna's colleague Harsono Soewardi discussed the question
\nof an independent versus a partisan press. He said that first and
\nforemost it is the press' responsibility to determine whether it
\nwas objective and to understand the consequences of being
\npartisan.<\/p>\n
\"The media and public figures have the responsibility of
\nguiding people, many of whom have a minimum education and ability
\nto sift information and comprehend how development is affecting
\nthem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Both Budyatna and Harsono used the recent fatal rioting in
\nTasikmalaya, West Java, as an example of the need for the press
\nto help educate rural people about development, as well voice
\ntheir aspirations about the programs.<\/p>\n
The ability to present responsible, in-depth coverage in
\naccordance with both the journalistic code of ethics and
\nPancasila is important, as is the added responsibility to
\nexercise some degree of self-censorship, Harsono said.<\/p>\n
\"News must not be written for the sake of increasing
\ncirculation only,\" he said, suggesting that the media raise
\nissues without sparking controversy.<\/p>\n
Above all, Harsono stressed, the press must also present
\nsolutions in addition to problems.<\/p>\n
From the business sector, Harvey Goldstein of Harvest
\nInternational, an investment management consulting firm, said
\nexecutives would seek news affecting their businesses regardless
\nof whether it was local or from overseas.<\/p>\n
Goldstein called for more factual reporting to serve
\ninvestors, and for a balanced view of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Wisaksono Noeradi, a public relations executive at Matari
\nadvertising company, said the so-called objective news in
\nIndonesia was \"relative.\"<\/p>\n
He said the prospects for the print media, totaling 200
\nnewspapers and magazines nationwide, remained bright as it served
\nas a valuable reference for the public's information needs and
\ncomplemented television and radio.<\/p>\n
The future of community newspapers is bright, he said.
\nAlthough initially unprofitable, they can be informative and have
\nthe potential to be among the country's top 10 newspapers.<\/p>\n
He cited Riau Pos daily, part of the Jawa Pos group of
\npublications, which had done well and catered to the local
\npopulation. Available on the Internet, Riau Pos is a member of
\nthe Jawa Pos News Network, with its news pooled under a
\nsyndicated arrangement, which reduces the need for
\ncorrespondents.<\/p>\n
Wisaksono also called for less of a \"herding\" mentality among
\nthe press, citing the excessive coverage of the mass exodus of
\nIdul Fitri holiday-makers from Jakarta.<\/p>",
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