Consumer institutions asked to do more

JAKARTA (JP): Consumer groups should do more to defend the public from the adverse effects of advertising, an anthropologist said at a seminar on women and advertising in Surabaya yesterday.

"Of late, we are getting more reports of people deceived by irresponsible advertising which present products that are not the same in reality," said Irwan Abdullah, a staff lecturer at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.

He pointed out that the rapid increase in the number of advertisements has not been accompanied by better information on product specifications that could help protect consumers.

He suggested that pressure could be put on production houses or advertising agencies that create deceptive advertisements. An independent agency could also be set-up along stricter ethical guidelines.

Irwan alluded to the law passed in 1989 which allowed for the establishment of private television stations. Since then, he said, TV has focused people's attention on image and aesthetics.

"Television creates interesting and pleasing pictures, and encourages people to consume," said Irwan. Citing an example, he said that by many local people's standards a product priced at Rp 99,000 (US$42) is expensive, but that TV advertisements claim the product can be theirs for the low price of Rp 99,000.

Television stations should be more responsible and broadcast information that balances images and information with reality, he said, adding that personalities used to promote products should also consider the moral aspects of their presentations.

Attended by some 200 participants, the conference was sponsored by Dr. Soetomo University and the Center for Women's Studies, Antara reported.

Tamara Blezynski, a soap-opera star, urged the public to be more critical of the information presented on TV. She added that tabloids should also be held responsible for the gossip and misleading pictures that they print. (14)