Council, journalists question budget for media
Council, journalists question budget for media
Bambang Nurbianto and Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta administration's plan to allocate Rp 3.15 billion
(US$338,710) for journalists in its 2005 budget has caused
journalists and several councillors to raise their eyebrows.
Rois Hadayana Syaugie of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
faction, which is the biggest party group within the council,
said on Tuesday that it would raise the issue during Wednesday's
session to deliberate the city budget proposal.
"If the money is to be used to pay journalists covering City
Hall, we will turn down the proposal as they are not employees of
the administration," he remarked.
The money would be taken from the Rp 32.24 billion allocated
in the budget for publications and protocol, with the
administration's 2005 budget totaling Rp 13.83 trillion.
In the proposal, Rp 1.5 billion is allocated for
media-coverage costs, another Rp 1.5 billion to pay for
interviews and "meeting the press" and Rp 150 million to
establish a "partnership forum" with 70 journalists covering City
Hall.
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) chairman Edi
Suprapto lamented the proposal, calling on the council not to
agree to the plan, which he said was an abuse of taxpayers' money
to soften media reports against the city administration.
"If the council approves the allocation, it means that it
agrees with the use of the budget for collusion," he told The
Jakarta Post on Tuesday, threatening to bring the issue to the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
In its statement, the AJI said such allocations for the media
were not in accordance with Article 6d of the Press Law as the
national press has to supervise, criticize, and make corrections
on anything related to public interests.
The organization said the plan is not in line with Article 5
of the Indonesian Journalists Code of Ethics, which states that
journalists are prohibited from receiving bribes or abusing the
privileges of their profession.
The issue has also disturbed journalists registered with the
City Hall's press room. Some described feeling like they were
"under attack" by other journalists who had blown up the matter
unfairly.
Yet, other journalists defended the issue as newsworthy as the
number of journalists mentioned in the proposal was wrong.
"Please, be fair in looking at this matter. There are only 50
of us who are assigned here and not 70 as stated in the budget
proposal," a journalist said.
Another journalist said that those who had published the story
should not be entitled to enjoy the facilities at the air-
conditioned press room, such as the free-of-charge phone line,
cable TV and Internet access.
"If the case were to be brought to the KPK, many journalists
would be caught in the bribery dragnet," another said.
I-box
Items in the budget for the city's public relations and protocol
bureau
Item Budget
1. Publication of in-house Media Jaya Rp 2,926,780,000
Magazine (11 editions)
2. Information services through Rp 736,590,000
print media
3. Information services through Rp 1,000,000,000
online media
4. Information services through Rp 1,800,000,000
electronic media
5. Broadcasting cooperation Rp 400,000,000
with radio stations
6. Advertorial, sponsored articles Rp 1,500,000,000
and special columns
7. Broadcasting cooperation with Rp 2,460,969,000
television stations