Acquit Former JAK TV Director; Judge Says the Press Is Not PR That Must Produce Positive News

Jakarta, KOMPAS.com - The panel of judges at Jakarta’s Corruption Court disagreed with prosecutors’ charge that journalistic work by Tian Bahtiar, the former Head of News at JAK TV, amounted to obstruction of investigation due to a narrative cast negative on the Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the judges, the press is not a public relations arm that must always report positively.

‘The panel believes that negative reporting is a matter of perception and perspective acknowledged within a democracy,’ said Judge Andi Saputra, in the proceedings at the Jakarta Corruption Court, on 3 March 2026.

‘Moreover, the press or journalists are not public relations officers obliged to publish positive news repeatedly,’ he added.

The judges said that there should be a distinction between negative narrative reporting and false news—or hoaxes.

Negative narrative reporting is part of the press’s effort to provide information related to events or issues so that reporting remains balanced. Meanwhile, false reporting and hoaxes have long been used to manipulate or deceive the public.

‘It would be a danger signal for democracy if the press or journalists only reported positive news, because the press exists as a tool to restrain and monitor democracy,’ Andi said.

If content is problematic, such disputes should be resolved by the Dewan Pers under the Pers Law, not through criminal charges.

As for Tian Bahtiar’s receipt of money from Marcella Santoso, this remains within the bounds of what the press may permissibly proclaim as a business entity. However, the fact of reporting with the promise of money is indeed an issue under the profession’s code of ethics and should be resolved by journalists.

‘Much though during the trial it was clearly shown that several journalists or media outlets received money related to reporting, that is an ethics issue and not automatically a criminal offence under Article 21 of Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Offences, as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001, read together with Article 20(c) of the Indonesian Criminal Code,’ Andi added.

In its verdict, the panel acquitted Tian Bahtiar and found that he did not violate Article 21 of Law Number 31 of 1999, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001, in conjunction with Article 20(c) of the Indonesian Criminal Code.