Media warned over violations

Media warned over violations

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko yesterday said the government counted no less than 140 instances in which the Indonesian media violated their code of ethics in 1995. This year alone, the number has already reached 11.

"Let's hope there will be no revocation of the press publishing licenses. The press however must be introspective," Harmoko said at a breaking of the fast dinner with chief editors, members of the Press Council, and executives of the Association of Indonesian Journalists.

Complaints about code violations came from members of the public as well as the Press Council, he said, adding that they affected both the print and broadcast media.

He did not give details of the violations, but said they ranged from minor violations to false reports.

Last Friday, on National Press Day, President Soeharto called on the leaders of the Indonesian press to control the behavior of their members, saying that code violations were becoming too frequent.

"So what the President said the other day was quite right," said Harmoko, himself a former journalist.

"As members of the press corps, we have not lived up to the journalists' code of ethics. The credibility of the press hinges on this code," he said.

He also reminded that press freedom in Indonesia should be accompanied by a sense of responsibility. "Our openness is responsible openness. It's not openness for openness sake." (01)