Press slammed for election reporting<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A human rights campaigner slammed Indonesia's
\npress yesterday for lopsided reporting of the May general
\nelection with its "empty words".<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association's
\nexecutive director, Hendardi, said the press published little
\nmore than campaign speeches and promises.<\/p>\n
"The media ran... speeches which said the same thing, gave the
\nsame old promises like eradicating corruption," said Hendardi, a
\nformer student activist. "The press failed to remind the parties
\nof their past promises."<\/p>\n
Hendardi told a seminar on media coverage of the general
\nelection that his organization had trouble informing the press
\nabout "things beyond the election".<\/p>\n
"The election drowned the press coverage of other things," he
\nsaid, citing various social political issues.<\/p>\n
On May 29, Indonesians went to the poll for the sixth time
\nunder the New Order government. They had a choice of three
\nparties: the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP), the
\ndominant Golkar and the conflict-ridden Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI).<\/p>\n
Golkar won 325 of the 425 contested seats in the House of
\nRepresentatives, the PPP won 89 while the PDI got 11. The
\nremaining 75 seats are reserved for the Armed Forces whose
\nmembers do not vote.<\/p>\n
During 27 days of campaigning before the election, riots
\nerupted in many parts of the country, including Jakarta, South
\nKalimantan, East Java and Central Java. Hundreds died in traffic
\naccidents while campaigning or in campaign-related unrest.<\/p>\n
Another speaker, broadcaster Ishadi S.K, admitted that the
\ntelevision station he worked for, TPI, had not screened full
\npictures of unrest in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"During the election we were very restricted, including by
\nself censorship," he said. "We did not show the riot in Warung
\nBuncit (South Jakarta) because we feared it would influence the
\npeople."<\/p>\n
Ishadi said that today's media was closely linked to
\ncommercial and other interests.<\/p>\n
"We are caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between four
\nparties -- the professional (journalists), the owner, the
\ngovernment and the political elite," he said.<\/p>\n
"News is only a small component of the media business. If
\nthere is news that will endanger the business, we should take
\ncareful steps," said Ishadi, a former top official at the
\ngovernment television station, TVRI.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has five private television stations: RCTI, SCTV,
\nAnTeve, TPI and Indosiar. All of them are owned by politically
\nwell-connected conglomerates. RCTI is part of a business group
\nowned by President Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo, the
\nBimantara group. AnTeve is under the Bakrie Group. Indosiar is a
\nsubsidiary of Indogroup, owned by tycoon Sudono Salim.<\/p>\n
Ishadi denied that self-censorship reflected Indonesian
\nmedia's lack of professionalism.<\/p>\n
"The quality of professionalism should not be judged by one
\nsingle item (news)," he said. "We have many broadcasts and news."<\/p>\n
But Hendardi insisted that the press should always stick to
\nits role of educating people.<\/p>\n
"The press should play a role in raising people's
\nunderstanding of the true meaning of general elections, and not
\nget trapped in what the government wants it to report," he said.<\/p>\n
The seminar was held by the Dr. Soetomo Press Institute to
\nmark the closing of its annual journalism course for mid-career
\njournalists. (35)<\/p>",
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