Violence on television<\/p>\n
In these past few days, as a number of our television stations
\nare busy marking their anniversaries with a variety of special
\nentertainment for the benefit of their viewers, many of us tend
\nto forget that there is reason for us, Indonesians, to be
\ngrateful for their presence.<\/p>\n
The truth is that while the printed news media also deserves
\ndue credit for doing its part in making the Indonesian public
\nbetter informed about current affairs at home and abroad, it is
\ntelevision that has the strongest impact in this area. As for
\nentertainment, the share supplied by television is without doubt
\nunsurpassed. Because of all this, the expansion of our television
\nnetworks over the past few years is surely something to be
\ngrateful about.<\/p>\n
Ironically perhaps, but certainly not surprisingly, it is this
\nvery power of impact of television that has, over the past few
\nyears, given rise to numerous expressions of concern over the
\nfare that is being presented by our television stations.<\/p>\n
True, there seems at present to be no consensus among
\nresearchers as to the influence which television has on the
\nbehavior of its viewers. The Indonesian psychologist, Darmanto
\nJatman, in a seminar held in Semarang a few months ago, offered
\nthe view that the impact of television on the behavior of
\nIndonesian youngsters was negligible compared to that of family
\nupbringing, schools and social environment.<\/p>\n
A survey made by the Jakarta newspaper Kompas late last year,
\non the other hand, appeared to confirm recent American research
\nfindings that there seems to be a correlation between the high
\nexposure to violence on television and the growth of violent
\nbehavior among American youths. In September of last year, when
\nthe Kompas survey was held, each day Indonesian youths were
\nexposed to at least 127 scenes of violence broadcast by four
\ntelevision stations -- RCTI, TPI, TVRI and SCTV.<\/p>\n
In the absence of a more recent survey we cannot say whether
\nor not, or to what degree, there has been any improvement over
\nthe past months -- that is to say, whether or not those
\ntelevision stations have complied with the many requests from
\neducators and other concerned viewers to reduce the number of
\nviolent scenes in their broadcasts. We tend to believe that if
\nthere has, indeed, been such a reduction, it has not been near
\nenough.<\/p>\n
In view of all this we would like to refer to a statement made
\nby Ishadi SK, head of the research and development department of
\nthe Ministry of Information, in December last year. He said that
\nsome kind of institution to oversee television programs,
\nregulated by law, is needed at present because practically no one
\ncan escape the impact of television, either in the positive or
\nthe negative sense.<\/p>\n
We believe this is a good time to seriously ponder the
\nproposition. Elsewhere in the world consumers appear to have
\nenough clout to pressure television networks into heeding their
\nappeals, either through boycotts of products promoted by
\nadvertisers on television or by other means. Since such a
\nsituation does not exist here, assistance is needed, either from
\nthe government, from legislators, or from others who are in a
\nposition to do something about the situation.<\/p>",
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