In the media glare with observer Veven
Hera Diani The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Amid the grandstanding and clamoring for position in the colorful media jungle, Veven S.P. Wardhana stands out as a voice of understated reason.
From the issue of press coverage of the May 1998 riots, to the broadcasting bill, government-press relations and the glut of TV gossip shows, Veven can tell it like it is.
Fortunately, he is not trapped in the "celebrity activist/observer" status, wanting to be quoted by every media for spouting convoluted pseudo-academic babble.
He speaks in concise, structured sentences, never pretending to be a know-it-all. And no matter how silly the question is, he is frank and polite in giving an answer.
A native of Malang, East Java, Veven, 45, knows the media from first-hand experience.
A graduate of the School of Literature at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, he later worked as an editor at a local daily.
"I was not satisfied with the information served in the media, and also with my colleagues' work ethics. The 'envelope' culture was very rampant. Journalists didn't look for information -- they were after money," said Veven.
The case that stands out for was allegations of embezzlement at a government ministry.
"No local media printed the issue, because the head of the office approached all of the editors in chief."
He moved to Jakarta in 1985, working for Hai teen magazine, and then to several other publications, including tabloids Monitor, Bintang, and Citra, Tiara magazine and the Gramedia- Majalah website.
Veven became involved in a few media watchdog organizations, beginning in 1999 as the election media monitoring program coordinator with London-based Article XIX.
He later joined the Institute for Studies on the Free Flow of Information (ISAI) as a media watch program coordinator, before chairing the Institute for Media and Social Studies (IMSS).
Although the media is still in a state of euphoria after the abolition of the requirement for a publishing permit of the Soeharto era, many media lack the necessary grounding.
"People want to capitalize by establishing a media (company) instead of providing information. Everyone is a copycat. Local mass culture is impatient, wanting the hard sell, the fastest way of making money," said the father of three.
There has been an explosion in the number of tabloids, as well as TV programs sticking to an almost identical format.
Former quality publications and TV shows have been forced to cater to the demand for gossipy, salacious content.
The media likes to claim that 'this is what the market wants'. That is highly dubious. There is only one research consultant being used, and if there was an insider in the company, the results could be fixed. However, it would be difficult to prove," Veven said.
Gossip shows are popular, but they also elicit angry reactions from many members of the public.
"Many watch the show, but the problem is which one they watch -- not all of them, I think."
The market is still big enough for people to establish new media, as long as they dare to be different.
"We can talk about celebrities, but there still should be some depth, with fresh and interesting angles. It should not just be about Jakarta, and the important thing is that it should not be offensive to women.
"Journalism-wise, there should be highlights, analytical coverage and critical opinion pieces which complement each other. Not like now, with 'spit' journalism, where the media only compile people's statements. And then what? The so-called investigative report turns out to be only compilations of interviews."
Human resources and funding should not be a problem, because they are found in abundance. The problem is the willingness to change.
Veven projected that it would take more than a decade for this to happen.
"That is unless there was a policy from the government, but then people would be suspicious, so it's the job of media watchdogs to monitor the media. Unfortunately, they still don't have much power."
Along with his colleagues, he often holds seminars and discussions promoting careful scrutiny of the media, and empowering individuals toward that aim.
Or else, he writes books, with themes ranging from the capitalization of TV and mass culture to the lives of the super rich in Indonesia.
Veven is also known as a television screenwriter, short story author and novelist.
In his latest novel, Stamboel Selebritas (Celebrity Stage Show), he pokes fun at the media and the hype surrounding celebrity.
"Even the Indonesian phrase selebriti is incorrect. If we refer to phonetics, it should be selebritas. Because community is adapted into komunitas in Indonesian, ditto with commodity and sexuality," he said.
His works have often touched on the issue of Chinese ethnicity, such as in his 2002 short story collection Panggil Aku: Peng Hwa (Call Me: Peng Hwa), and TV drama Xiao Qing, aired on private TV station RCTI last January.
Although not of Chinese descent himself, he was inspired to write about the subject after meeting members of the Chinese community, from Indonesia and other countries, in Paris back in 1994. The May 1998 riots, in which Chinese-Indonesians were targeted, added to his interest.
Right now, he is writing a chapter about the life of Chinese- Indonesians in a cosmopolitan society, with a bit of a gender perspective.
It will be one of the contributions to a book compiled by an international publisher, with other writers from Australia, Germany, the United States and the Netherlands.
Regardless of what he is doing, Veven never forgets his roots, thanks to the S.P. initials in his name.
"They're the initials of my parents. People usually put their father's name as their last name. I put those of both my father (S) and mother (P) to honor them," he said with a smile.