Ministry of information revived? Dump the old paradigms
Ministry of information revived? Dump the old paradigms
The issue to revive the ministry of information has received
mixed reactions. The Jakarta Post's Israr Ardiansyah talked to
multimedia expert RM Roy Suryo Udoro, better known as Roy Soeryo,
who teaches at the Gadjah Mada University and the Indonesian Arts
Institute in Yogyakarta.
Question: How do you view the possibility of a revival of the
ministry of information?
Answer: The issue has something to do with political deals
among the political parties. It's related to the number of
positions in the Cabinet that should be distributed to political
parties involved in inter-faction meetings. The idea is not based
on feasibility studies.
Q: What about the argument that we need an official body that
serves as the government's public relations office?
A: The old paradigms of the ministry of information must be
thrown away. We have to formulate a new concept to deal with the
fast-growing communications technology in the global age or the
Internet era.
Q: What do you suggest?
A: Along with other colleagues across the country, I suggest that
the government establish a brand new ministry, the ministry of
telematics (telecommunications and information), as an
institution that will develop telecommunications, the media and
informatics in Indonesia. I would hope that the ministry could
accelerate the development of communications.
Q: Is it enough?
A: If the government really needs a PR office, why doesn't it
just make the role of the current National Information Center
more professional, including making use of its website (www.info-
ri.com) as an official source of information? The United States
Information Service could be a good model for the government's
official information service, which could be a rich source of
comprehensive information.
Q: Could such a PR office be manipulated to control the media?
A: The rising concern of the threat to press freedom is not
groundless. That's why I would suggest that the function of
information be regulated in a sub-department in the ministry of
telematics. This ministry would accommodate two urgent needs:
first, the institution that facilitates the needs of
telecommunications, media and informatics in Indonesia; and
second, the needs of an important source to develop a
professional information center.
This ministry could resolve the issue of complicated and
overlapping regulations like the telecommunications law, press
law, broadcasting bill, multimedia bill and other related bills
drafted without synchronization or comprehensive consideration.
Q: How could this ministry compete in this Internet era,
especially to accomplish its PR mission?
A: That's the big challenge! Indonesia has to learn from Japan's
official broadcasting station NHK or the UK's British
Broadcasting Corporation, which have become bigger and bigger,
and internationally credible. The answer is, they are committed
to their jobs. The content is prepared in an appropriate and
serious manner.
Q: How about our broadcasting stations?
A: The state television (TVRI) and radio (RRI) have shown
improvement despite the ministry of information being their
patron throughout history. RRI, through its PRO-3 program, or
TVRI, through the reformatting of its news, have improved.
The idea of reviving the ministry could be a setback to these
broadcasting companies.
Q: Are you sure that the ministry of telematics is a good
solution?
A: First, I hope that President Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri
becomes aware that a ministry of information would be an
atrocious choice. Second, this world is converging: we really
need a ministry that will facilitate the development of
information technology and telecommunications (ITT).
It would be a pity if, just because we are not aware of the
importance of telematics, we could only represented by a person
of directorate general level when engaged in a bilateral
agreement or government-to-government deal on ITT, while
ministers, prime ministers or even presidents represent other
countries in Southeast Asia or Asia on such issues.