Lampung journalists get special government funds
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung
The provision of a special government fund for the media has been commonplace in Lampung province for years, raising concern over the impartiality of news coverage here.
Some Rp 50 million (US$5,555) to Rp 300 million is allocated annually for periodic disbursements to journalists posted at government agencies and local legislative councils in the province.
The Lampung provincial administration provides a budget of Rp 500 million yearly, with an annual assistance Rp 48.2 million earmarked for reporters, Rp 60 million for the print media and Rp 150 million for electronic and other media. The remaining Rp 100 million is given to the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) to assist with operational costs, while another Rp 150 million is provided for the maintenance of PWI's office in Lampung.
The assistance for the dozens of journalists is usually disbursed in monthly allotments at the respective legislative councils. Each journalist receives Rp 100,000.
The Bandarlampung municipal government earmarks Rp 60 million annually, with Rp 10 million for journalists and Rp 50 million each year for the mass media for publication of news reports and photographs.
A council member, Mingrum Gumay, said the payment of reporters should actually be abolished as it was a burden on the administrations.
"But it's quite difficult because our colleagues at the council consider it transportation money. They reason that it is fair to provide journalists with such funds," said Gumay.
Chairman of Lampung's Association of Independent Journalists (AJI), Firman Seponada, said that the assistance for journalists and PWI was once stopped in 2001 due to protests from AJI.
"But the following year, provision of such funds started again and has continued to date. Funds are also available for PWI and state run radio, news wire services and television stations because they are considered partners of the government in development," he said.
According to Firman, local administrations and legislative councils have always approved budgets for the media. "The Lampung Legislative Council nearly disbursed funds amounting to Rp 200 million for freelance journalists. Luckily a journalist at the council reported this to us and the proposal was later rejected," said Firman.
Although that proposal was rejected, the council still approved Rp 500 million to be distributed to journalists covering the legislature and administration and the print or electronic media they worked for.
Firman added that besides receiving the official funds from the budget, freelance journalists also solicited additional funds from government agencies and schools, and even at village offices.
"They submit project proposals worth millions of rupiah, but when rejected, they are willing to accept an amount as small as Rp 50,000," said Firman.
An activist at the Lampung Media Center (LMC), Jauhari Zaelani, said reporters should be on an equal footing with officials in the bureaucracy and not receive money from them.
"It's a form of submission. They cannot report objectively if they receive such monthly allowances," said Zaelani.
He added that the practice would encourage corruption and make the media impotent.
A reporter from a local publication admitted to having accepted monthly stipends from the local administration because of the low salary he gets. "I'm only paid Rp 300,000 per month with a transportation allowance of Rp 500 per day. If I refused the assistance, how could I support my family," he said on the condition of anonymity.
By accepting the funds from government sources, he could pocket Rp 4 million to Rp 5 million a month and pay monthly installments on a car.