Journalist's mission

Journalist's mission

From Warta Kota

There have recently been two violent incidents involving the police and on-duty journalists, in particular photographers as well as television cameramen: (1) cameramen were threatened by the police at the Atma Jaya university campus, Jakarta, on the evening of March 12 when several cars were damaged in a clash, and (2) the police threatened journalists and photographers who were covering a clash occurring near the regional office of the Golkar Party in Cikini, Jakarta, on March 13.

As a retired journalist, I would like to express my concern as well as to make the following appeal to the public at large and the police:

The job or mission of a true journalist or reporter includes the recording of events in writing or in pictures and then publicizing them.

In carrying out their duties, journalists are provided with and let themselves be guided by the journalistic code of ethics and other rules. Like the police officers on duty, the journalists on duty (to fulfill the demand for and right to information), are protected by the law. And like any other employees carrying out their work, the work of journalists is governed by written regulations and conventions.

Accordingly, threatening let alone acting violently against journalists is exactly the same as threatening the public at large, and is a violation of the law and, at the same time, the UN's Declaration of Human Rights.

Law enforcement officials should immediately put an end to their practice of breaking the law. Likewise, activists who are staging rallies and at the same time threaten journalists, should realize that their attitude to journalists is the same as killing democracy.

EDDY S. PERMANA

Depok, West Java