Biased coverage

Biased coverage

From Republika

The media, including television, has devoted extensive reports to the general election campaigns of the three contestants since they began on April 27. State-owned television station TVRI is expected to present balanced and fair coverage of the campaign activities of the parties.

But TVRI has failed on this count. Evidence of this was its coverage of the campaign in its World News show on April 27. There was a discernible bias towards one contestant.

Golkar's activities in several cities such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bogor and Tangerang received greater coverage from TVRI in reports on both the campaigners and their supporters. But a campaign event held by the United Development Party (PPP) in Medan, North Sumatra, on the same day was not covered on the show. I wonder how TVRI could display such preferential treatment, which contravenes the values of fairness in our Pancasila philosophy.

I hope TVRI will present more balanced coverage in future.

JAHRUDIN

Jakarta