Most Indonesian politicians loath to read

Solita Sarwono, Psychologist, Wasenaar, The Netherlands

One of the most significant changes brought by the "reform" period is the increase of freedom of speech. The government has become the prime target of various kinds of criticism coming from experts, students, women's groups and many others.

Daily newspapers and weekly magazines frequently publish critical analyses on the country's situation. Yet the government or the authorities hardly even respond to these critics. It feels like talking to a wall or screaming in an open field. Nobody hears you. Frustrating.

Don't these top officials and politicians read the papers? Most likely no. Although many of the elite officials are very well educated, and many speak English, very few read the papers thoroughly. They may get 3-4 different newspapers each day and a number of weekly magazines at home and at the office, but they only read the headlines, skipping the articles or editorials containing good analysis and reviews of the current situation.

They are more inclined to react when interviewed on television. TV talk shows seem to be more effective in getting the message through to the decision makers and politicians as compared to comments and criticism in the printed media.

How can we explain this phenomenon? One possible explanation is the poor reading habits among Indonesians in general. Not many Indonesians enjoy reading. Students' bags are stuffed with reading materials, yet most of the books are dry and boring and the children feel that reading is compulsory, not for fun. This system continues to the university level for most.

Students are assigned to read a stack of textbooks, many of them in English, to be tested for exams. However, since very view lecturers ask questions or analyze what is written in the textbooks, the students tend to ignore the reading assignment and prefer to read the summary of the books made by fellow students and photocopied for everyone interested. Only a handful of students visit the library regularly. Reading, as a hobby, has become less and less popular among Indonesians.

One could argue that many youngsters often go to big bookstores and spend one hour or longer, reading the materials on the racks. That is a valid observation. But let us take a look at the materials picked up by these school children and students. Comic strips! Or magazines with lots of pictures! In other words they are attracted by the pictures, not the words. This lack of interest or "laziness" for reading has worsened with the introduction of television and computer technology. Young and old spend hours each day watching TV or playing computer games.

It is fun to watch colorful advertisements, films, soap operas, games and even talk shows. However, as everything on the screen is presented in the form of photos, animation or live shows, very little is left to the imagination. Reading, however, stimulates imagination and analytical capacity as the words only provide abstract concepts. Each reader must create a picture or an understanding based on what is written. Reading is indeed a mental exercise.

One can assume that politicians or decision makers in Indonesia did not grow up in an environment which encouraged reading habits and therefore have little interest in reading and analyzing comments and criticism in the printed media. Talking is much easier than reading or writing. That is why television talk shows, especially the interactive programs, are very popular. But TV programs are time-bound. It is aired at a certain time and when you do not watch it at that exact time, you miss it, unless it is repeated (like the commercials) or recorded. For this matter, printed media is far more advantageous. You can read at your convenience and at your own pace. Some read faster than others. Some take a half an hour, others may be an hour or more to get through the papers and magazines. But that is the best part. One is able to do it in their own time. The problem is, many politicians do not bother to take the time (or claim they do not have the time) to read the newspapers thoroughly. So anyone wanting to continue using printed media as the channel to voice one's opinion and criticism toward politicians, please make it short and concise and if possible put some pictures in to catch the reader's attention.