Good news and bad news for Yogyakarta 'reporters'

Sri Wahyuni The Jakarta Post Yogyakarta

There was good news for journalists based in Yogyakarta when journalist associations, the legislative council and private institutions agreed not to give money to reporters invited to cover certain events.

The deal is, however, bad news for anyone claiming to be reporter or any reporters who love collecting money from such events.

It is common in Indonesia that ministries, government institutions and private companies provide some money for reporters they invite to press conferences. The amount of money, usually in an envelope, varies depending on which institution invites the reporters.

Once Yogyakarta-based reporter said that each envelope usually contained between Rp 15,000 and Rp 25,000.

This habit has encouraged some groups of people to fraudulently present themselves as journalists to merely to get money from the institutions.

Reporters based in Yogyakarta have long been aware of such a situation. Many bogus journalists, many of them claiming to work for big publications, have regularly asked companies, including hotels, for money. Bogus reporters are popularly called "bodrex" or Wartawan Tanpa Surat Kabar (WTS), which means journalists without publications.

The practice had continued until the Yogyakarta Journalists' Forum meeting with Commission A of the legislative council, related institutions and private companies last Saturday.

Present at the hearing were members of Commission A, executives of the local branches of the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI) and the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indonesian Journalists' Community (KJI), public relations officers from local hotels and hospitals, and dozens of local reporters.

At Saturday's meeting, all people in attendance recommended that giving money to reporters and reporters asking sources for money should be stopped.

Any activities that could be classified as extortion or blackmail must be reported to the police, the meeting agreed.

"Last but not least, the media companies should be concerned about the wealth and morality of their journalists," said Commission A chairman Krisnam, reading out the agreement.

The hearing revealed that many private institutions, mostly hotels, had endured bad experiences with journalists or individuals claiming to be journalists, who had asked them for "transport" money.

"They often came in a group of up to 25 people and, if we refuse to give them what they ask for, they threaten to do something against us. They are really shameless," said a public relations (PR) officer from the Santika Hotel, acknowledging that some journalists often attended press conferences or other events just for money.

She said that she once gave the group of bogus reporters Rp 300,000.

Dewi, a PR officer at the five-star Ambarrukmo Palace Hotel, shared a similar experience, saying that she had once been so afraid that she had to hide from a 'group of journalists' who were asking for money when the hotel hosted a limited national working meeting held by the Supreme Court in early October.

Natalia Subekti of Natour Garuda Hotel had a similar experience when a group of people went to her and requested the hotel's monthly program. After she gave them the agenda, the people asked for money to copy it.

Commenting on the matters, both PWI and AJI representatives called on all social groups to be tougher and more courageous.

"Just report to the police," said Kari Tri Adji of AJI Yogya.

KJI chairman Argo Pratomo Nugroho acknowledged that the organization, the only one in the country, had become a scapegoat for the bogus reporter problem.

Argo said, however, he supported PWI and AJI in their fight against bogus reporters or blackmail practices.

"We (KJI) are often accused of being the ringleader (for the illegal practices). I've checked all members and none of them have been involved in such illegal practices. We will impose stern sanctions against any member found violating journalistic ethics," Argo said.