RI press violates own code of ethics<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): While the Indonesian press is constrained by a
\nblatant lack of freedom, it has made the situation worse by
\nineptly violating its own ethical code.<\/p>\n
The problem became an impromptu topic at a seminar yesterday
\non the closure of newspapers, with particular reference to
\nIndonesia Raya," which was banned in 1958 by president Sukarno's
\ngovernment and again in 1974 by the current administration
\nfollowing a student uprising.<\/p>\n
Atmakusuma, the former managing editor of Indonesia Raya,
\nsaid that the mass media should not expose the identity of
\ncriminal suspects because "it is against international law to do
\nso. The press should protect all people from defamation."<\/p>\n
"This protection has not been included into Indonesian press
\nlaw," Atmakusuma said.<\/p>\n
Citing examples, he first pointed to a recent TV broadcast of
\nthe mother of a man who had allegedly stolen Rp 1.2 million
\n($511,945) from a Panin Bank branch office in Surabaya. The TV
\nnetwork joined police officers in asking the woman to appeal for
\nher son to return home with the loot.<\/p>\n
"And newspaper clippings have been manipulated by police to
\nform the basis of their charges against three lecturers from
\nSatya Wacana University in Salatiga, Central Java, to support the
\nreasons of their dismissal," Stanley said.<\/p>\n
Atmakusuma said that the newspapers involved in the lecturers
\ncase had violated the right of not exposing in public people whom
\nthe police had blacklisted.<\/p>\n
He also said that the press has blocked information to the
\npublic and news media has been controlled excessively.<\/p>\n
News reports have also been manipulated by media that are
\nunder the tight control the owner, Atmakusuma said. The policy
\nhas curtailed press freedom.<\/p>\n
Mashuri, former minister of information, who banned the
\nIndonesia Raya newspaper in 1974, said that the condition of the
\npress nowadays is different from the time when he held the
\nposition.<\/p>\n
"We were then in an emergency situation which I expected to
\nend in 1976. But judging by the fact that the media ban still
\napplied in 1994 (when the magazine Tempo was banned) the
\nemergency conditions seem to have dragged on somewhat," he said.<\/p>\n
Mashuri urged journalists not to continue dreaming about
\nfreedom of the press because the press is only a small part of
\nthe whole political system.<\/p>\n
Wimar Witoelar, a noted television talk-show host, who
\nmoderated the seminar, said that the question about to whom the
\npress is responsible is too dangerous to answer.<\/p>\n
Atmakusuma said it is obvious that newspapers are responsible
\nto the readers, not to other organizations or individuals and
\nmuch less to the Ministry of Information.<\/p>\n
Mochtar Lubis, the chief editor of the defunct newspaper, said
\nthat when Indonesia Raya was still riding high Indonesia enjoyed
\nsufficient freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
"Many newspapers were able to contribute substantially to the
\nnation's development," Mochtar said.<\/p>\n
He was proud that his paper had carried an investigative
\nreport on the corruption in the state-owned oil company Pertamina
\nin the 1970s.<\/p>\n
Mochtar said that the report was not motivated by selfishness
\nbut by a mature desire to save the state-owned company.<\/p>\n
Stanley Prasetya Adi, a member of the Association of
\nIndependent Journalists, speaking about the good-old-days,
\nreminded the participants of a time when a journalist was granted
\nan interview by President Soeharto, an event that is now
\ncompletely unheard of.<\/p>\n
Stanley said today the burden of giving information to the
\npublic has increased, and that many journalists have been afraid
\nto defend the people's right to know what happens in the country.
\n(16)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-press-violates-own-code-of-ethics-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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