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