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.