Mob, bribery are press enemies

YOGYAKARTA: Bribery and the use of mobs are nemeses of the free press in the current reform era, the Indonesian Journalists Alliance (AJI) branch here said.

In its statement which marked its second anniversary on Friday, the journalists said the two enemies "have threatened the media's freedom and independence."

It blamed the low income most journalists are earning and lack of appreciation of their work for their vulnerability to bribes.

"We even find some reporters who do not receive any compensation at all from their employer, except for the press cards which they use to seek money," the statement said.

Mass violence is another terror of the press, it added, referring to the attack in early May of Surabaya-based daily Jawa Pos by Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organization's civilian guards over alleged defamation. (44/edt)