Free press, free nation

After commemorating Labor Day on May 1 and National Education Day on May 2, we may as well continue the streak today by marking the World Press Freedom Day, May 3. Though not as widely celebrated as the first two, press freedom is as important to the life of this nation as is education or labor rights.

But rather than throwing ceremonies, today is more a time for contemplation, not only for those who work in the press or the media, but also for those who are concerned about democracy, and about the future and the well-being of this nation.

Later this month, the nation also marks the fifth year since freedom -- a basic civil right -- was finally restored following the collapse of the Soeharto regime. Looking back, the press, some of us anyway, could take pride that we played a role in the student-led movement to put an end to Soeharto's 32-year tyranny.

The day that he stepped down, May 21, 1998, was the day when this nation regained its freedom. Now, this is definitely something worth celebrating, if only to remind the nation that freedom is something worth fighting for, and defending.

The press had its own selfish reason for taking part in the struggle. Freedom of the press is a subset of freedom of expression, a right guaranteed by the Constitution. Freedom of the press, in turn, is today guaranteed by the 1999 Press Law.

Now nearly five years since press freedom has been restored, it is worth asking, as we mark Press Freedom day, what is really expected of us, and have we really met these expectations?

The press in Indonesia, as in other democracies, plays many roles, from keeping the public informed of the news, promoting public debate, to conducting investigations and getting to the truth about issues of relevance to the public.

In the nearly five years since press freedom became the norm, the press has generally been involved in all these functions to some degree. Whether they have been effective or not, we leave it to the public to judge. What is certain, is that the press could not have played those roles effectively without the freedom it now has.

The experience of the last five years also has shown us that it would be wrong to take press freedom for granted, in spite of constitutional guarantees and the 1999 Press Law.

Many elements in government and outside have continued to try undermine this freedom. We have seen government officials openly campaigning to reimpose some forms of control over the press. We have seen thugs, employed by powerful people, intimidating and harassing journalists.

Obviously, some elements in society, in government and in business, are not ready to face the consequences of a press that is free to publish all the news that is fit to print. And these elements will not rest, lest we give them a run for their money.

We must readily admit that the press is not without its faults. Lack of professionalism and corruption (hence "envelope" journalism) are some of the deep-seated problems that those in the media must address, lest we lose our credibility.

We should remember that our freedom has been made possible only because the public continues to believe in the merits of press freedom. The public giveth and the public taketh. The moment the press loses all its credibility, the public will withdraw its support.

The nation has come a long way these last five years, and the press can take pride that it has something to do with it. Yet, progress has been too slow for most people's liking. There is still plenty of work ahead, for the nation and for the press, in building Indonesia into a democratic, just and prosperous nation.

In many respects, such as political, economic and judicial reforms, progress has been painfully slow. At times, there is even the impression that there is no government in Indonesia, or at least not an effective one, since many of our politicians, elected or otherwise, are too preoccupied with everything but running the government.

When all else seemed to have failed or stopped, the nation can at least take pride that Indonesia today has a vibrant press that continues to believe in what it does. Which reminds us of former U.S. president Thomas Jefferson's famous 1787 remarks, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

Indeed, this statement is still very true of Indonesia today, some 216 years since Jefferson penned it.