Meager wages key to 'envelope culture'

Meager wages key to 'envelope culture'

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Indonesian Journalists Association and National Press Day, which falls on Feb. 9, The Jakarta Post ponders the "envelope culture" in the following article. More stories on Page 2 and Page 9.

JAKARTA (JP): An embarrassed young journalist hopped out of a taxi. She would never forget her short conversation with the taxi driver.

"So, you are a journalist?" the driver queried. "That's good, you must have a lot of envelopes."

Indonesian journalists know all too well what the taxi driver meant. He was referring to the "envelope culture", in which cash is exchanged for favorable news reports. It is no secret that some Indonesian journalists get cash from their sources. The cash is put in an envelope and then distributed at certain events, gaining the name uang amplop (enveloped money). Journalists who accept the money are called wartawan amplop (envelop journalists).

Some sources have a more refined way of bribing journalists. They might transfer the money directly to a journalist's bank account, or provide free vouchers and expensive gifts instead of cash.

Many sources and journalists are of course against bribery, but some help phony journalists foster the envelope culture. Armed with faked press cards, the phony journalists attend media briefings and will not leave without some cash. They regularly milk hush money from delinquent businesspeople and government officials.

The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) states in its code of ethics that journalists should not receive anything from their sources. But violations do occur and the association has done little to cure the disease.

"The publishing companies are expected to discipline their own reporters," PWI secretary-general, Parni Hadi, said in an interview with The Jakarta Post. Parni is the chief editor of the Republika daily.

Republika is strongly against the distribution of envelopes, he said. Zsa Zsa Yusharyahya, the business manager of the RCTI television station, is also against the envelopes.

Souvenirs

"We accept souvenirs, which serve as promotional items to be publicly distributed as marketing gimmicks, such as T-shirts and pens, but no cash or personal gifts," Zsa Zsa explained.

August Parengkuan, deputy chief editor of the Kompas daily, said that his newspaper has dismissed journalists found to have accepted envelopes. When a reporter is suspected to have received envelop money, but there is no proof to justify dismissal, the Kompas management moves the journalist to a non-editorial department.

Most of the Indonesian media do accept free out-of-town trips, however.

"Well... ideally we pay for our expenditures. But let's say a cabinet minister invites us to cover his activities out of town, we will take it because this will help us with the news coverage," Parengkuan said.

Can you still be critical of someone who provides you with a nice flight, comfortable accommodation and good food?

Zsa Zsa, Parengkuan and Parni share the opinion that free trips can affect the objectivity of reporters.

"It is the duty of the editors to screen bias or promotional reports," Parengkuan offered as a solution.

Both private companies and government institutions are equally knowledgeable of the "envelope culture". Some government institutions even impose income tax on bribes because they consider the money official expenditure.

But not all the money reaches unscrupulous journalists. Some times public relations officers, including those at government institutions, steal part of the bribe for themselves.

Journalists can be offered as little as Rp 5,000 (US$2.1) to over Rp 1 million.

Clearly, the bribe money a journalist could earn in a month could easily exceed his or her legitimate salary.

Established mass media companies provide journalists with an adequate income, but many journalists don't earn enough to live. Starting salaries can be less than Rp 100,000 a month.

"I am not a hypocrite. Sometimes I accept cash from my sources because my salary is small," a senior newspaper journalist said.

"But I don't want to be under their control. What I mean is, whether or not they give me money, I will write the report because of its news value. But if they give me the money and ask me to write something which is against my conscience, then no thank you," he said.

Aware that many journalists don't earn an adequate salary, the Indonesian Journalists Association is considering regulating salaries.

Salaries

"We have been thinking about this for a long time," Parni said. "I think a new reporter deserves around Rp 500,000 ($217) a month."

Last year Indonesia had 247 newspapers with a total circulation of 10.5 million copies; 117 magazines (5.13 million copies); and 823 radio stations, 627 of which are privately owned. There is also one state television station and five private television stations with an audience of 92 million.

Most of the media companies, however, are not financially secure. Due to financial problems, there are "dailies" which are printed once a week, and some publications appear only occasionally. Financial problems therefore factor largely in the envelope culture.

Parni suggests that the small publications merge.

"The press must be a combination of industry and idealism," he said.

Republika, which hit the market in 1993 with a capital of Rp 12 billion, is backed by Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, the Association of Indonesian Moslem Scholars and a number of tycoons like Bob Hassan, Probosutedjo, Sudwikatmono, and Bambang Trihatmodjo. Bob Hassan also invests in several other media companies, including Gatra. Sukamdani S. Gitosardjono has big shares in Bisnis Indonesia. Media Indonesia does well with the help of businessman Surya Paloh. All of the five private TV stations are owned by conglomerates outside the press circle.

Editor, which lost its publishing license in 1994, re-appeared under a new name, Tiras, seven months later with financial assistance from Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief, who is also a big businessman.

The Kompas and Suara Pembaruan dailies are examples of successful newspapers which are independent of conglomerates outside the press circle.

Huge capital is required to maintain a newspaper. Journalists are able to work well only if their welfare is ensured, which, in turn, helps counter the envelope culture.

But, as Parni insisted, the envelope culture has much to do with the mentality of Indonesian journalists, and the current social and political environment.

"How can we eliminate the envelope culture if society justifies bribery?" Parni asked.

Surya Paloh, owner of the Media Indonesia daily, said he does not forbid his journalists from accepting bribes because it is impossible to know what they do behind his back.

"I just tell them to think about their dignity," he said.