'Greater professionalism key to newspapers' survival'

'Greater professionalism key to newspapers' survival'

JAKARTA (JP): Newspapers and magazines need to strengthen
their professionalism if they are to survive the growing
competition from the increasingly aggressive broadcasting media,
senior journalist Jakob Oetama said yesterday.

"With the advent of private television stations (in
Indonesia), the print media industry is being challenged to
maintain and promote the reading habit of the people," Jakob, the
chief editor of the Kompas daily, said in a discussion reviewing
the condition of the Indonesian press after 50 years of national
independence.

Jakob conceded that the print media have come under a strong
threat since the government allowed the establishment of private
television stations six years ago.

"The private television networks, which are still expanding
their broadcasting capacity, have succeeded in winning 50 percent
of all advertising spending," he said "This is a real challenge
to our printed media," he added.

Other panelists in the discussion, which was organized by the
Association of Indonesian Journalists, were senior journalist
Rosihan Anwar, Any Idris of the Waspada daily, Sabam Siagian of
The Jakarta Post and Karni Ilyas of Forum magazine.

Five private television stations have been established in the
past six years: RCTI, TPI, SCTV, An-Teve and Indosiar. All five
are vying for the same share of advertising spending, the main
bloodline of both print and electronic media.

The private television networks are prohibited by law from
producing daily news programs. Instead, they have to broadcast
news produced by the state-run TVRI.

However, the new stations have circumvented the law by airing
what they call "feature news" programs, which provide viewers
with up-to-date and often in-depth analysis of news.

The government is currently drafting a new law on broadcasting
that is expected to remove the restriction on television news
broadcasting.

Jakob said that the six Indonesian TV stations are reaching
almost every corner of the nation, while the 800 private radio
stations reach about 90 percent of the population.

By contrast, newspaper readership in Indonesia is still
considered among the lowest in Asia.

Sabam said that the print media has a number of strengths in
providing news, as compared with the electronic media.

"The electronic media have their own strengths in
broadcasting good pictures, but most viewers will not be
satisfied before getting detailed, analytical information and
comments on the events they are watching on television," he said.

Jakob said that with the advances in television technology,
the networks have succeeded in persuading most of the people to
watch TV.

"People spend more time watching television than reading
newspapers or magazines. Children prefer playing video games and
watching television than reading comics or books," he said.

Jakob contended, however, that the print media have yet to
fully exploit their potential, given the huge size of Indonesia's
population.

"The size of the population has reached 196 million, but the
number of print media is only 247, with a total circulation of 14
million," he said.

He said the press should continue in its role of empowering
the people in the social, political and cultural fields. (rms)