In the media glare with observer Veven
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.