Viewers divided over value of television campaigns<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Everyone would agree that campaigning on TV is
\nvery useful in that it doesn't cause problems like fear of street
\nviolence and traffic snarls. However, due to time constraints its
\neffectiveness to convey the campaigners' party programs is
\nquestionable.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post asked people from a variety of backgrounds
\nfor their viewpoints on the electronic media election campaigns.<\/p>\n
Bambang Setiawan, a communications specialist from Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity, Yogyakarta: \"Media campaigns are surely less
\neffective than the face-to-face approach.<\/p>\n
But from the political education point of view, campaigning
\nthrough the media is more effective because campaigners use their
\nbrains in the \"wrestling\". Its coverage is wider. People viewing
\nthe debate on TV do not have to worry about possible physical
\nclashes that may happen like in street rallies.<\/p>\n
People watching the TV campaign at home are relaxing and they
\ncan learn the educational values of the program. The audience
\nwill learn more from the campaigning.<\/p>\n
New information one obtains from watching a TV campaign or
\nreading the newspaper will not necessarily change one's political
\nbelief if the audience already holds strong political
\nconvictions. Someone with strong political beliefs will usually
\nbe reluctant to listen to a campaigner from a political party he
\nor she does not like.<\/p>\n
Campaigning through the media is most affective for audiences
\nwho are undecided about which political party they will support.\"<\/p>\n
Sunarto, 45, a civil servant: \"I often watch political
\ncampaigns on TV. I like watching the program because it gives me
\nan insight into which parties offer the best programs.<\/p>\n
Frankly speaking, the programs have an effect on me. I'm
\nconsidering shifting my political allegiance to another party.
\nNow, I watch only the campaigns of the political parties I like.
\nI won't tell you which parties they are.\"<\/p>\n
Sari, 31, a parking attendant: \"I rarely watch the TV
\ncampaigns. I watch them only when my relatives at home want to
\nsee them. I don't think I need to waste my time watching the
\ncampaigns on TV because I already have a party I strongly
\nsupport. I have always supported the United Development Party
\n(PPP). At the moment I don't have the slightest intention of
\nshifting my allegiance.\"<\/p>\n
Wurdianti, a housewife: \"I don't watch the campaigns on a
\nregular basis. I do watch them sometimes while taking care of the
\nkids.<\/p>\n
The program is very informative. It allows people to learn
\nwhat a political party will do to overcome the economic crisis
\nand other problems. Now I know which parties are reform-minded
\nand which ones are not.<\/p>\n
It is a good way to learn more about politics and thus it
\nbroadens my horizon. Although all political parties are offering
\ntheir programs, I will not abandon my old party.\"<\/p>\n
Danang Nugroho, 23, a student: \"I often watch the campaign
\nprograms on TV. What bothers me most is that the parties'
\nprograms are mostly hypothetical. I have no idea how they will
\ntranslate their theories into action when they win the elections.<\/p>\n
I think media campaigns are effective for parties which have
\nstrong support from the masses. Who will listen to the small
\nparties' programs?<\/p>\n
I have not decided which party I will vote for next month
\nbecause I want to follow closely what each party has to offer
\nthrough the mass media.<\/p>\n
The alliance that several parties recently formed has
\ndisproved my conviction about a party I thought was anti-Islam.\"<\/p>\n
Sutoyo D., a communications expert from Airlangga University,
\nSurabaya: \"The TV campaign is not effective. The presentation is
\ndull and the campaigners are obscure. Only figures like Megawati,
\nAmien Rais and Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid are worth seeing.<\/p>\n
I observe that not many people are interested in watching the
\ndebate on TV. People have a lot of alternative channels to choose
\nfrom now. It they don't like the program, they will switch to
\nanother channel. Most of the viewers are supporters of the
\ncampaigning political parties. This is not good because the
\nobjective is to win new supporters.<\/p>\n
TV stations in Indonesia allocate 75 percent of their airtime
\nfor entertainment, 15 percent to education and 10 percent for
\ninformation. Viewers in general will opt for entertainment, not
\ncampaigns. I think few people in rural areas are interested in
\nwatching the TV campaign.\"<\/p>\n
Asri Indriani, 45, a housewife: \"I'm more interested in
\nwatching sinetron (teleseries) than campaigns because there are
\njust too many contesting political parties and the campaigners
\nare not well-known.<\/p>\n
No politics interests me because political activities are
\nsynonymous with violence. Political activists are often seen
\nclashing in the streets. I will watch if the campaigner is a film
\nstar.\"<\/p>\n
Subur Adrianto, 40, an employee of state-owned electricity
\ncompany, PLN: \"The TV campaign is not useful. The other day I
\nwatched the chairman of Abul Yatama Party campaign on TV. It was
\nvery funny. He didn't know how to deliver a speech and I can't
\nimagine how he can lead the party.<\/p>\n
I don't care who will campaign on TV today. Even though I'm a
\nNational Mandate Party (PAN) supporter, I'm not interested in
\nwatching PAN campaign on TV.<\/p>\n
I liked the recent debate of presidential hopefuls. It was
\ngreat. I prefer to watch music clips or news broadcasts than
\ncampaigns.\"<\/p>\n
Fifi Aprilia, 19, a law student at Airlangga University in
\nSurabaya:<\/p>\n
\"Political campaigning on TV is boring. Campaigners are all
\nacting up. Questions and answers revolve around trivialities. I
\nknow those asking the questions are mostly supporters of the
\ncampaigning parties. In short, campaigns bore me to death.\"<\/p>\n
Rosalina da Silva, a housewife in the East Timor capital of
\nDili:<\/p>\n
\"Many of us here didn't even want to register for the
\nelections, but we did because we are still citizens of Indonesia.
\nThe television campaigns are boring. Besides, we have been
\nfocusing more on the direct balloting (planned for August, when
\nEast Timorese will vote on whether to remain part of Indonesia
\nand receive wide-ranging autonomy, or become an independent
\nstate).<\/p>\n
We really don't want to be bothered by election activities in
\nDili, because in the end it will be the politicians in the
\nlegislative bodies who benefit, the people will continue to
\nsuffer.<\/p>\n
What do we need politicians for? They are the ones who made
\nthings unsafe in East Timor. They only care about their own
\ninterests, not the interests of the people.<\/p>\n
So many East Timorese have been killed, terrorized,
\nintimidated. No legislators ever come to defend us.\"<\/p>\n
A 30-year-old street vendor in Dili who refused to be named:<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to be bothered by campaigning. Let's just have
\nit done with as soon as possible so we can continue concentrating
\non direct balloting, and on waiting for the United Nations police
\nteam to come here to prepare the balloting.\"<\/p>\n
Isa Anshary, 46, a government official in Jakarta:<\/p>\n
\"I am still undecided over which political party to vote for.
\nEarlier, I was expecting much from the presidential debate
\norganized by University of Indonesia students. But the featured
\nfigures did not satisfy me.<\/p>\n
I wish there was a party with a good presidential candidate
\nwhich I could vote for.<\/p>\n
I am still open to persuasion, including from TV shows
\nfeaturing presidential candidates. Like it or not, I now see
\nHabibie as a more capable candidate than the others.<\/p>\n
Other presidential candidates like Megawati, she is only
\nthought highly of by her supporters, but she has not done enough
\nto convince other people. A presidential candidate must be able
\nto convince the people, including Golkar (supporters).<\/p>\n
Personally, I have great empathy for former Jakarta governor
\nAli Sadikin. Unfortunately, no parties have nominated him. Ali is
\na courageous and consistent political figure.\"<\/p>\n
Hamdan, 37, a Blue Bird Taxi driver in Jakarta:<\/p>\n
\"No, I am not influenced by the campaigns of other political
\nparties on TV. My mind is made up, I'll vote for the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). I admire Megawati.
\nOf course, I also empathize with Amien Rais, but PDI Perjuangan
\nis my choice.<\/p>\n
If people say a native of South Sulawesi would certainly vote
\nfor Habibie, that's nonsense. I am a Bugis (native of South
\nSulawesi). Yes, I definitely expected Habibie to perform when he
\nsucceeded Soeharto, but he has disappointed me with his one year
\nin office. \"<\/p>\n
Titien Rahayu, 26, an employee of a foreign company in
\nJakarta:<\/p>\n
\"My preference is PAN. I don't have to watch televised
\ncampaigns because I have made up my mind. It's because I knew of
\nAmien Rais long before PAN was established, from his articles in
\nthe Republika daily and his outspokenness on Freeport
\n(environmental destruction) issues.<\/p>\n
No, TV campaigning no longer has an effect on me.\"<\/p>\n
Fathi Rahmatullah, head of the United Development Party
\n(PPP)'s Kebon Jeruk chapter, West Jakarta:<\/p>\n
\"I often watch election campaigns on television. For me, it's
\ninteresting to learn of other parties' programs and their
\ncampaigners.<\/p>\n
But for people of the grassroots, or most of PPP's supporters,
\ncampaign programs on television are not interesting. Supporters
\nappear to be more interested in street rallies.<\/p>\n
Many supporters leave the fields where campaign speeches are
\nheld in order to join street rallies. They prefer putting on a
\nshow of force since most of them are youths.\"<\/p>\n
Siti, a rice stall owner in Palmerah, West Jakarta:<\/p>\n
\"I rarely watch parties' campaign programs broadcast by
\ntelevision stations. Either I or my children usually change the
\nchannel if a station airs campaigns.<\/p>\n
Instead, I watch people participate in noisy street rallies
\nfrom my stall.\"<\/p>\n
Rusdi Muchtar, a communications researcher at the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI) in Jakarta:<\/p>\n
\"Some of the campaigning programs on TV are good, some are
\nnot. To be effective in reaching out to influence voters, the
\npoliticians featured must be creative in communicating their
\nmessages to the audience.<\/p>\n
The fact that the programs are so limited in time may be a
\nmajor hindrance, but creativity could help sell parties.<\/p>\n
Look at Gus Dur (Abdurrahman Wahid, leading politician of the
\nNational Awakening Party) when he appeared on Partai-Partai
\n(Parties) program on TPI television station. It was a bad
\nappearance, not empathetic at all, in fact he stirred up
\nantipathy.\"<\/p>\n
Ana Nadya Abrar. a communications expert at Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity, Yogyakarta:<\/p>\n
\"First, many people are already suspicious that because state-
\nowned TVRI organized them, the campaigning sessions were
\ndeliberately made to be ineffective. At the very least people
\ndoubt that TVRI could be capable of organizing the programs.<\/p>\n
Second, the campaigners featured should be top politicians, or
\neven the parties' presidential candidates. That is the way it is
\ndone in developed countries, so viewers are enthusiastic enough
\nto watch and to listen to what is being said in the sessions.<\/p>\n
As it turns out, most of the campaigners have not even
\nprepared well for their appearances on television. They should
\nhave paid better attention to detail, such as facial expressions,
\nbody language.<\/p>\n
Now, there are parties whose campaigners are poor and their
\nanswers stupid.<\/p>\n
They could learn from former American president Ronald Reagan,
\nwho was so good at acting before television cameras that he was
\ncalled The Great Communicator. He admitted that his appearance
\ncounted as number one, while his programs were of lesser
\nimportance.<\/p>\n
Rather than continuing the televised campaigns, parties would
\nbe better off holding debates on campuses.<\/p>\n
The most important thing in a television program is that it
\nhas to entertain. It therefore makes sense that televised
\ncampaigns should be entertaining, too. This should be both a
\nchallenge and an opportunity for political parties.\"<\/p>\n
Priyo, 46, a pedicab driver in Bantul, Yogyakarta:<\/p>\n
\"Have I watched televised campaigns? Yes, I have. I forget how
\nmany times, but it hasn't been too often. Mostly, I've left every
\ntime such a program is aired. I watch television at my neighbor's
\nhouse or at rice stalls.<\/p>\n
I don't understand what the people are saying.<\/p>\n
Besides, I have made up my mind about which party to vote
\nfor.\"<\/p>\n
Suwarso, 51, a bottled-tea vendor in Sleman, Yogyakarta:<\/p>\n
\"I rarely watch the television campaigns. My kids usually
\nswitch the channel every time a campaign goes on air. I watch TV
\nonly for wayang (leather puppet) shows or TV series.<\/p>\n
Television campaigns all look the same, don't they? They are
\nall people making speeches. It's different when campaigns are
\nheld on fields, then I can take part while taking care of my
\nkids. Especially if there are dangdut performances.<\/p>\n
No, I have not yet decided on which party to vote for. I am so
\nconfused, there are simply too many parties.\"<\/p>\n
Rara, 27, a hotel clerk in Yogyakarta:<\/p>\n
\"I watch campaigns on television only if there are no other
\ngood programs on. So I can get to know other parties (other than
\nmy preference). But I never watch any of them until the end. It's
\nboring. They are all the same.<\/p>\n
What interested me once was when a speaker discussed women's
\nrights. I just don't get it. Most of the parties say they will
\nfight for women. I just don't believe they'll really do it.\"
\n(swa\/nur\/44\/aan\/jun\/33\/)<\/p>",
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