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