Media coverage of South Sulawesi polls lacking

Media coverage of South Sulawesi polls lacking

By A. Muis

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): News coverage of the June 7
elections in South Sulawesi was undoubtedly of great significance
in that it provided valuable information about the quality of the
elections to ordinary people.

In this reform era, to what extent was the general election
specifically conducted in a free and fair manner in that region?
To what extent was the local media coverage of the polls true,
accurate, fair and balanced?

In general, the Ujungpandang-based local media were relatively
accurate and provided balanced reportage of many events and
controversial issues emerging from the elections. It would appear
that publisher's policy, or editorial policy, played an important
role in the way local journalists reported the historic event.

With regard to editorial policy or their "mission" there were
at least two kinds of media groupings. The first were the
proreform directed media. The second, though relatively few in
number, were the pro-New Order or the Golkar Party directed
media. A partisan press is an unavoidable reality. It reflects
the fact that no media holds a totally independent viewpoint. And
that is why application of the fairness doctrine in a full sense
is not possible.

Balanced and fair news reporting does not only have a
quantitative meaning; it mainly has a qualitative meaning. What
does the story stand for? How do reporters write or explain
events concerning controversial issues? Is he or she fair and
accurate or not? Is he or she independently and objectively
covering the news or not?

According to the joint forum of Ujungpadang journalists
(Forbes), news reports of the elections by local newspapers and
newscasts by the local broadcast media, especially radio
stations, were considered less comprehensive than they might have
been.

Clearly, most of the news about campaigning, balloting and
vote-counting was straight news. The forum said there was very
little interpretative reporting. Also lacking was journalism of
the "truth-as-I-see-it-reporting" style, or activist reporting,
i.e. the reporter has the right (indeed an obligation) to become
personally and emotionally involved in the events of the day. It
is not only permissible but also desirable for journalists to
cover news from the viewpoint of his or her own intellectual
commitment.

It is in the interest of the public's right to know that the
reporter has the right (indeed obligation) to cover news of the
elections in accordance with his or her intellectual commitment
and personal feeling.

In addition to an absence of interpretative and active
reporting, another style of modern journalism called journalism
of process was also rarely applied.

It is only natural that reports of the South Sulawesi
elections by Ujungpandang media were less significant in the area
of political education for the people.

An interesting question could be raised as to why the Golkar
Party was the projected poll winner in the South Sulawesi polls.
The local media should have answered this question by applying
the above mentioned precepts of modern journalism, specifically
interpretative and active reporting (truth-as-I-see-it-
reporting). Also, the question as to why 46 out of the 48
political parties disputed the poll results should have received
full attention in the local media. Unfortunately, it did not
happen.

For a very long time, the people of South Sulawesi were
deprived of their political rights by the New Order regime. The
authoritarian regime used Golkar as its political machinery,
while Golkar made use of the authoritarian regime as its
political vehicle to gain support from the people, despite the
apparently bogus support.

Because people from South Sulawesi and other places have been
deprived of their freedom and political rights for 32 years, they
no longer have the ability to distinguish between what is a free
and fair general election and what is unfair and unjust.

The people have for a very long time ignored alternative ways
of thinking. They no longer have the ability to be innovative and
respond to novelties, nor can they accept a new political system.
That is the answer why Golkar successfully held on to power in
South Sulawesi and some other regions.

Despite being on the receiving end of derision and even
physical attacks by many people, especially in Java, the ruling
and very rich political party may resume power in the coming
General Assembly of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
That means the New Order regime or the status quo authority will
very likely return to power. But possibly, too, there will be
mass refusal of such an outcome by students, which may lead to
serious social riots. Bloody student demonstrations, also
participated in by other people, could take place in Java and
Sumatra during the MPR General Session slated for November.
Violence could continue to escalate if a new status quo Cabinet
was formed.

The writer is professor of communications, law and social
sciences in post graduate studies at the University of
Hassanuddin, Ujungpandang, and the University of Indonesia,
Jakarta.