Ethics must guide freedom of the press, minister says
Ethics must guide freedom of the press, minister says
JAKARTA (JP): While freedom of the press is necessary in a
democracy, in Indonesia the press must still be guided by ethics
and subject to some form of social control, Minister of Law and
Legislation Yusril Izha Mahendra said on Wednesday.
Indonesia's new press law, enacted in September, has given the
industry virtually unlimited freedom, Yusril said. This should be
followed by tightening social control mechanisms, he added.
He did not elaborate on the mechanisms envisaged, but said the
press in Indonesia should observe ethical norms as it enjoyed its
newfound freedom.
Yusril, a constitutional law expert, was speaking at a seminar
on the role and responsibilities of the media. The event was
jointly organized by the American Studies Association, the
University of Indonesia and the United States Embassy.
Yusril said the press played such a crucial role in bringing
about changes in society that it was difficult to envisage
democracy developing without the presence of a free press.
"However the press should consider how far it uses its
freedom. It must develop a code of ethics to guide its conduct,"
he said.
The new press law abolished the draconian licensing system
which had been used by previous governments to control the press.
While there was no official censorship, the government revoked,
or threatened to revoke, licenses of publications critical of it.
Under the new law, a press publication needs only to register
with the authorities. It also guarantees the independence of the
press.
One of the first policies introduced by President Abdurrahman
Wahid after his Oct. 20 election was to abolish the information
ministry through which past presidents had controlled the media.
Yusril questioned whether the media in Indonesia were ready to
handle the consequences of their new found freedom, especially in
the absence of any effective mechanisms to check their behavior.
"The law has distinctive punishments. Ethical codes do not
provide punishments for violators," he said.
Without ethics, the press could turn news into propaganda, he
said.
Sasa Djuarsa Sendjaja, a mass communications expert at the
University of Indonesia, said society was still learning about
the consequences of giving unlimited freedom to the press.
To ensure fairness in their reporting, the press must strive
to strengthen the skills of their reporters and also encourage
the establishment of media watchdogs, he said.
"The public should be informed of their right to control the
behavior of the press. They should be able to sue media which run
untrue and damaging reports," Sasa said. (04)