RI should allow more Australian reporters<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Participants of a meeting between senior
\nAustralian and Indonesian editors yesterday agreed that one of
\nthe ways to improve positive coverage here is to allow more
\ncorrespondents in.<\/p>\n
Several Australian editors said that having more
\ncorrespondents in Indonesia would be helpful not only in
\ndisseminating information in Australia but would also reduce
\ntheir journalists' inclination to spotlight trouble spots in East
\nTimor and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Gregory Hywood of the Australian Financial Review said that
\nthe presence of more journalists here would help shift the focus
\nof news about Indonesia away from the two territories to coverage
\nof other aspects of life here.<\/p>\n
Bilateral relations between the two countries have often been
\nstrained by Australian press reports which portrayed Jakarta's
\npolicies in East Timor and Irian Jaya in a negative light.<\/p>\n
Ian McIntosh of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
\npointed out that the media is able to contribute to efforts to
\nenhance bilateral ties.<\/p>\n
Foreign correspondents who are to be posted here have to get a
\nlicense from the Ministry of Information.<\/p>\n
Until very recently, there was only one correspondent
\nrepresenting the Australian media here. There are now eight.<\/p>\n
\"There's too much at stake (for the two countries) to shut the
\nmedia out,\" McIntosh said.<\/p>\n
Gathering<\/p>\n
Yesterday's gathering of senior editors from the Australian
\nand Indonesian media was the second organized by the Australia
\nIndonesia Institute (AII). The first meeting was held in Sydney
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Fourteen editors from Australian print and electronic media
\nattended the meeting. On the Indonesian side, such notables as
\nJakob Oetama of Kompas daily and former ambassador to Australia
\nSabam Siagian attended the meeting.<\/p>\n
Also present was Richard Woolcott, the chairman of AII and
\nformer Australian ambassador to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
While ignorance and cultural differences were perceived as the
\nreason behind some misunderstandings between the two countries,
\nthe editors acknowledged that, by the very nature of the media
\nindustry, it is bad news that attracts attention.<\/p>\n
\"Friction creates interest,\" Hywood said.<\/p>\n
Another participant pointed out that even if 10 articles were
\nwritten about positive developments here, people would still more
\nlikely remember the one \"bad\" news article.<\/p>\n
\"Bad news is news,\" remarked the editor.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Richard Woolcott, on behalf of the AII,
\npresented 53 photographs to the Antara national news agency.<\/p>\n
The photographs depict Australia's role in the fight for
\nIndonesian independence during the late 1940s. (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-should-allow-more-australian-reporters-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}