Harmoko says Indonesian press guilty of bias, slander

Harmoko says Indonesian press guilty of bias, slander

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian press gets another rebuke in the
course of only a few days.

Minister of Information Harmoko said here yesterday that the
press should refrain from making slanderous and biased reports if
it wants to maintain its credibility.

The first criticism came from the military on Friday when Lt.
Gen. R. Hartono, the chief of social and political affairs,
rapped the press for publishing biased reports and over exposing
issues.

Harmoko, speaking after inducting the new board of the
Indonesian Press Council, said the press should not violate its
code of ethics by publishing slander.

"Apply the concept of the freedom of the press in mature ways
which are harmonious with society," he urged. "Applying freedom
concepts which are derived from value system other than our
Pancasila will create damaging distortions, and even cause social
upheavals."

The press still has a responsibility to exercise control over
the government and society, in order to create a "dynamic
national stability", he said. However, the press should use its
power constructively and in line with Indonesia's culture and
manners.

Acting responsibly would earn the press credibility, he said.
"When you lose that credibility, it's a calamity for yourself."

"The press is not a favored institution which...is exempted
from the stipulations of professionalism and credibility," he
said.

There are only a few new faces in the line-up of the
Indonesian Press Council, the watchdog of the Indonesian press,
for the period 1993-1996. Among the few, new members are
political scientists Dr. Juwono Sudarsono and Dr. Anwar Arifin.

Harmoko retains the chairmanship and Director-General of Press
and Graphics Development Subrata keeps the secretary general
post.

Other members are Moslem scholar Dr. Nurcholis Madjid,
Director of Social and Political Affairs of the Home Affairs
Ministry Soetojo NK, and the information ministry's Secretary
General Emir H. Mangaweang.

Representatives from the Indonesian Journalists Association
(PWI) appointed to the council include Sofyan Lubis, Parni Hadi,
Atang Ruswita, Tribuana Said MDS, M. Zaki Abdullah, Syamsul
Basri, Made Nariana, and Djohar Hamid.

Representatives from the Newspaper Publisher Association are
Jacob Oetama, M. Soegeng Widjaja, Handjojo Nitimihardjo, Toety
Azis, L.E. Manuhua, and Kusfandi.

Meanwhile, the Honorary Council of PWI issued a statement
yesterday expressing concern about the press' tendencies to
publish imbalanced reports bordering on trial by the press.

The council deplored newspapers and magazines which published
classified state letters and documents, and dramatized issues.

"These tendencies are clearly not helping to strengthen
political openness," the statement said. (swe)