Govt aid won't bias the press, says PWI

Rusman, The Jakarta Post/Balikpapan

The East Kalimantan provincial government has recently channeled Rp 25 million (US$2,659) in aid to an important journalist association in the province but denies it is an attempt to influence media coverage.

Provincial council budget committee member Ridwan Suwidi said the payout to the Indonesia Journalist Association's (PWI) East Kalimantan chapter was part of a Rp 3.7 million additional budget fund from the 2004 provincial budget.

He denied the fund was being used to curb journalists' scrutiny of councillors and the East Kalimantan provincial government.

The media's job was to criticize the government and the councillors, he said, and many publications who received government money were happy to continue doing so.

"Some media organizations are no longer critical after they are given money by the government. However, it depends on the media organizations themselves. The fund is not binding," he said.

PWI East Kalimantan chairman Sofyan Masykur confirmed his organization, which has some 200 members, accepted the Rp 25 million payout. He said the PWI would use the fund to cover the overhead costs of running the PWI's secretariat, and would not spread it to its members.

The funding would not affect the impartiality of journalists in writing stories on governance issues in the province, he said.

"It is natural that the PWI, the oldest journalist association in the country, accepts the fund. The fund will not impinge on our (members') independence from the government," Sofyan said.

Sofyan said his organization did not accept the money every year.

Another recipient of the funding is a media publication on the environment published by several local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which received Rp 40 million (US$4,255).