National Press Council looks to act as 'watchdog'

BANDUNG (JP): With official government intervention against the media now increasingly unlikely, the National Press Council hopes to take up the role as a control mechanism against media transgressions.

General manager of the Jawa Pos Group Dahlan Iskan maintained that a controlling institution was necessary.

"In our press freedom we still need controls, otherwise the media will become arrogant," Dahlan said, noting that as a profession, journalism had a special autonomy which distinguished it from other professions.

"That explains why the press needs to have freedom and independence ... it can't be pushed or forced to take up certain attitudes," Dahlan said at the council's 44th plenary meeting here on Thursday.

He said the newly passed Law No. 40/1999 on the press, mentioned the existence of the National Press Council as a control mechanism for the country's press.

The press council permitted the profession to control itself without the need for government intervention, he said.

"If there is a dispute, it is expected that the dispute can be settled in the council, but we don't close off the possibilities of taking any press matters to courtrooms," he said.

Dahlan acknowledged that the council was unable to function optimally during the New Order era. He said the council was in the past perceived as being coopted by the government and that it fell out of favor with the media.

"In the past it was totally dependent on the government and could not disassociate itself from its image as a government tool."

The council comprises journalists and people working closely in the media, state officials and other individuals involved in media issues.

During the Soeharto regime, the council was often cited as a body which gave recommendations to the government to revoke publication licenses.

Also attending the convention was the senior editor of Bandung's Pikiran Rakyat daily, Atang Ruswita, public relations manager of the privately run RCTI television station, Eduard Depari, and media figure from the Dr Soetomo Press Institute and leader of the Indonesian Newspapers Publishers Association Leo S. Batubara. (43/emf)