Press reporting not impartial in Aceh: Watchdog<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nand Tiarma Siboro
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Most national newspapers and television stations have failed to
\nuphold the basic principle of covering both sides in reporting
\nthe Aceh conflict, a media watchdog says.<\/p>\n
Head of Aceh News Watch Agus Sudibyo said on Wednesday that
\nmonitoring of reports by 13 Jakarta-based print media and all
\nJakarta-based television stations from July 28 through Aug. 12
\nindicated that their reports were biased, as they did not cover
\nboth sides of the conflict.<\/p>\n
Most of the media preferred to get information from official
\nsources rather than ordinary people in Aceh and the separatist
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM), he said.<\/p>\n
\"It is pitiful that our media is not finding alternative news
\nsources,\" Agus said when presenting the results of his monitoring
\nproject at a discussion here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He added that many reports on the Aceh conflict mixed facts
\nwith journalists' opinions.<\/p>\n
According to Agus, the monitoring was part of efforts to
\npromote and build control into the so-termed integrated operation
\nin Aceh, launched on May 19.<\/p>\n
The monitoring, funded by the Institute for the Study of Free
\nFlow of Information (ISAI), started last July and is expected to
\nend in December this year. It will publish its evaluations
\nfortnightly.<\/p>\n
The 13 print media monitored were: Tempo, Forum, Gatra, Suara
\nPembaruan, Harian Terbit, Warta Kota, Indo Pos, Rakyat Merdeka,
\nKoran Tempo, Pos Kota, Media Indonesia, Republika, and Kompas.<\/p>\n
ISAI also monitored nine television stations: Metro TV, SCTV,
\nRCTI, TV7, Indosiar, TPI, TVRI, Lativi, and Trans TV.<\/p>\n
Ivan Harris, a news editor with SCTV, acknowledged that his
\ntelevision crews had to remain physically close to the martial
\nlaw administration in order to ensure their security.<\/p>\n
\"Of course we want to cover both sides, but the situation in
\nAceh has prompted us to seek protection from the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI),\" Ivan said in the discussion.<\/p>\n
Ivan also blamed the rough terrain in Aceh and the lack of
\ntelecommunications services for the failure of his TV station to
\nrun balanced stories.<\/p>\n
However, he said that although SCTV decided to stay close to
\nTNI in Aceh, the station would continue to supervise its
\nperformance in the province.<\/p>\n
\"We shall ensure that TNI does not carry out human rights
\nabuses during the military operation in Aceh,\" Ivan said.<\/p>\n
Bambang Sukartiono from Kompas daily and TV 7 TV station
\nconcurred with Ivan, saying that attempts to cover both sides
\nwere difficult to achieve in practice due to limited access to
\nthe separatist movement.<\/p>\n
\"Enforcement of the military operation has reduced access
\nwithin Aceh,\" Bambang added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, military analyst Indro Cahyono from the University
\nof Indonesia (UI) said most media institutions had degraded the
\nnews value of the Aceh conflict by burying Aceh stories on their
\ninside pages.<\/p>\n
Television reports from July 28 through Aug. 8
\n---------------------------------------------------------------
\nNews Source MetroTV SCTV RCTI TV7 TVRI
\n---------------------------------------------------------------
\nMilitary 39 12 18 15 24
\nPolice 23 - 12 3 8
\nGAM 5 - 10 1 -
\nPublic 18 2 23 6 12
\n----------------------------------------------------------------
\nSource: ISAI<\/p>\n
Print media reports from July 28 through Aug. 12
\n------------------------------------------------
\nNo. News Source Percentage
\n-------------------------------------------------
\n1. Military 33
\n2. Police 9
\n3. Government 18
\n4. House 4
\n5. GAM 5
\n6. Non-governmental organizations 4
\n7. International 2
\n8. Religious leaders 10
\n9. Public 9
\n10. Journalists 4
\n11. Others 2
\n-------------------------------------------------
\nTotal 100
\n--------------------------------------------------
\nSource: ISAI<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/press-reporting-not-impartial-in-aceh-watchdog-1447899208",
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