Time was up for information ministry<\/p>\n
The new Cabinet line-up revealed the abolition of the Ministry
\nof Information. Leo Batubara, a founder of the Indonesian Press
\nSociety (MPI) and secretary-general of the Union of Newspaper
\nPublishers (SPS), talked to The Jakarta Post on this development.<\/p>\n
Question: Do you welcome the abolition of the Ministry of
\nMinistry?<\/p>\n
Answer: Yes. We think the function of the ministry is still
\nneeded, but not the structure. Its people could still function in
\nstrengthening the poor public relations in all parts of the
\nadministration. The ministry used to regulate, issue permits and
\n\"guide\" both print and electronic media, including the use of
\nsanctions; it also provided information to the public. These
\ntasks were carried out under the authoritarian paradigm of
\nmonopolizing the media, which was considered a tool to channel
\ngovernment opinion. There was hardly any space for public
\nopinion.<\/p>\n
The new Law no. 40\/1999 (which MPI helped to deliberate --
\nEditor), passed on Sept. 23, spelled out press freedom more
\nclearly. Something which was unclear in the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
The ministry no longer takes care of permits in the case of
\nprint media, or sanctions (a policy carried out by former
\nminister M. Yunus -- Editor) Pak Yunus encouraged whatever
\nchanges we proposed as long as they were based on justice and
\nsupremacy of the law. Under the new law the press now regulates
\nitself and alleged violations are referred to the Criminal Code.<\/p>\n
There are still a number of remaining issues. First, the
\nsuspended deliberation of the draft bill on broadcasting. The
\nbroadcasting business is different; permits are still needed but
\nwe are trying to establish an independent commission to be in
\ncharge of issuing these permits and watching over violations,
\nwhich would answer to the House of Representatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
Second, the position of the state run Radio Republik Indonesia
\n(RRI) and Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI). This is still being
\ndebated and the MPI has said that we want neither of them to be
\nunder the Ministry of Information anymore.<\/p>\n
RRI and TVRI could become public broadcasters funded by the
\nstate budget and supervised by the independent commission.
\nCensorship would largely be determined themselves using their own
\ncode of ethics. In the interest of the public they would not be
\nallowed to show too many commercials. Fees (from consumers) would
\nalso add to their income.<\/p>\n
Regarding public information, the ministry's function could
\nstill be carried out by the state secretariat and public
\nrelations officers at all state bodies and regional
\nadministrations. So the ministry's 50,000 employees would not
\nhave to worry.<\/p>\n
With the dissolving of the ministry, doesn't the press still
\nface pressure from the owners regarding editorial content?<\/p>\n
Owners clinging to the producer oriented concept in which they
\ndictate to their media will find their profits shifting to
\ncompetitors. Of the several major dailies in the past -- such as
\nMerdeka in Jakarta, Waspada in Medan (North Sumatra) Pikiran
\nRakyat in Bandung (West Java), Suara Merdeka in Semarang (Central
\nJava), Surabaya Post in Surabaya (East Java), Pedoman Rakyat in
\nUjungpandang (South Sulawesi), and Banjarmasin Post in South
\nKalimantan -- only a few have survived. Pikiran Rakyat and Suara
\nMerdeka were among those which quickly changed to be more market-
\noriented.<\/p>\n
Our colleagues in countries with a supposedly free press, like
\nin the Philippines, still complain about control by their owners.<\/p>\n
Owners who let professionalism grow will see their media
\nprogressing compared to conservatively owned media. The
\nWashington Post, for instance, became a quality newspaper because
\nits owner respected professionalism. Media organizations here
\nwhich depend on politics as their main commodity must also be
\nready to change ... political conflict should decrease nowadays.<\/p>\n
The newfounded openness led to a surge of new media. Among
\nprint media, how many are still in business?<\/p>\n
Based on data of the Ministry of Information as of Sept. 23
\nthere were 1,687 print media registered, of which 40 percent were
\nactually publishing. There are new papers in Parepare, South
\nSulawesi, Batam, Halmahera in Maluku and Lhokseumawe, North Aceh.
\nOf those which were publishing many have reduced (their
\nfrequency), some have petered out ... their weakness was that
\nthey were merely copying existing media.<\/p>\n
Media industries must be healthy... If \"envelope journalism\"
\n(the habit of bribing and receiving bribes) is still rampant
\npeople will ask what is the good of press freedom? In 1997, 70
\npercent of the 289 print media had trouble covering printing
\ncosts; it's not much different now.<\/p>\n
While you say information ministry employees should strengthen
\nadministration offices, many officials are still afraid or
\nunwilling to give out even the most basic data.<\/p>\n
Our public relations in government are not yet professional. I
\nwas proud the other day seeing President Abdurrahman Wahid. He
\ngave explanations himself, instead of the old tradition where
\nguests and officials of the president would give out the
\ninformation to the press after meeting him ... This should be
\nalso done at the regional level, with the regents, for example,
\nbeing ready to face the press with the support of their public
\nrelations people providing the necessary data.<\/p>\n
The MPI is helping to prepare an Act concerning the free flow
\nof information, as the issue is not fully covered in the new
\npress law. Government employees must remember they work for the
\npeople. The public should have access to data on, for instance,
\nbanks, the state-run oil company Pertamina and the large mining
\nfirms. We should no longer have press offices destroyed by mobs
\nand blacklisting of journalists by the attorney general... (anr)<\/p>",
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