Local press getting bolder, observers say
Local press getting bolder, observers say
SEMARANG (JP): The Indonesian press has become more courageous in recent years and more effective in keeping the government in check, some political observers say.
Law expert Muladi and political scholar Mochtar Pabotinggi said on separate occasions yesterday that the press has become more critical in the current climate of greater freedom.
The two experts were commenting on the state of the country's press industry in connection with tomorrow's National Press Day.
Muladi, the rector of Diponegoro University in Semarang, said however, that today's bolder press has not been accompanied by a commensurate increase in professionalism.
He noted that newspapers and magazines in Indonesia are still indulging in the practice of trial by the press and "correction" by the press. They are also violating the presumption of innocence principle frequently, he said.
Muladi, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, cited as an example the way the press treated the allegations of corruption against Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto in December.
Some newspapers were clearly taking sides, he said.
"Their coverage was politically loaded, and it was so blatant," he said. "Clearly, the press must live up to their responsibility."
However, Muladi welcomed the Indonesian press's current tendency to be more bold and critical.
The government is not prepared to deal with a more liberal press, he said, recalling the forced closings of the Tempo, Editor and DeTik news magazines, which had their publishing licenses revoked two years ago.
To make sure that the Indonesian press plays by the rules, Muladi said that the industry's legal framework should be strengthened so as not to let unethical journalistic practices go unpunished.
He suggested administrative sanctions against publishers, and legal action against writers who violate the rules.
Currently, the law allows the government to revoke the publishing license of a newspaper or magazine, which imminently leads to closure of the publication.
He also called for a more active role by the Press Council in supervising the activities of journalists.
Mochtar, a researcher of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences in Jakarta, said the press has become more free and mature in recent years.
He said the country, and the government, need the presence of a critical press.
"In the absence of a critical press and public scrutiny of the various major issues facing the country today, corruption and collusion will flourish and weaken the government," Mochtar said.
In the end, he said, this could lead to political upheaval. (har/16)