Homeward-bound travel

Homeward-bound travel

From Media Indonesia

The media often say that one minute of television broadcast
costs several thousand U.S. dollars, emphasizing that television
reports must therefore be useful and efficient. What you actually
see on television tells a different story.

Every year, two weeks before and after the holidays
(Christmas, New Year and Idul Fitri) television stations
broadcast special reports on homeward and city bound travelers on
a daily basis. Each television station must spend more than one
hour a day on such programming.

What is the use of such reports? It is a waste of time on
things people already know. Everyone knows that every year during
those holidays the flow of travelers going to their home towns
and returning to the city is enormous, so it is always difficult
to find tickets for buses and trains. There is really nothing new
to report.

I have observed that one of the television stations is very
fanatic in presenting this stale news. By its concentration on
those homeward bound travelers it neglects the great number of
news items which are more useful for viewers. This station may
think that this is too much like hard work, and that it is much
easier to cover the movements of the travelers.

From the aspect of broadcasting it is inefficient and
unprofessional. In this globalization era efficiency and
professionalism are absolute requirements for survival.

M. TANJUNG

Jakarta