New Press Council members elected
New Press Council members elected
JAKARTA (JP): A nine-member National Press Council has been
established with an urgent mission to handle public complaints,
improve the national press' professionalism and uphold democracy,
said an elect council member.
Atmakusumah Astraatmadja said after meeting with President
Abdurrahman Wahid at the Bina Graha presidential office on Friday
that the presence of such a council was urgently needed to
protect the press and journalists from intimidation and injustice
and to mediate public complaints filed to the press.
"Over the last two years, a number of publications received
threats because many sides did not understand press freedom," he
said.
He said the council would be open to any complaints from the
public and any parties that claimed to have been victimized by
the press.
According to him, people had the right to file lawsuits
against the press, but suggested that such cases be resolved by
mediation with the council, which would save both time and money.
"In Britain, 85 percent of disputes involving the press are
solved out of court, thanks to their council's intervention,
while in Australia, it can reach up to 75 percent," he said.
Another elect council member, Leo Sabam Batubara, who is
secretary general of the Union of Newspaper Publishers (SPS),
said the council would also seek to clean up print and electronic
media that violated the code of ethics and would take concrete
steps to improve the professionalism of the press.
He said the council was expected to set up an honorary council
which resembled the Press Commission in Britain, to help troubled
media, including television and radios stations.
Atmakusumah said the council was established according to the
1999 National Press Law.
The council's members comprise three print media
representatives, four from the rest of the media industry and two
from the public.
"The nine members of the independent press council are
expected to have a high integrity of personality, sense of
objectivity, sense of fairness and wide experience in their own
specialty," Atmakusumah said.
The three print media representatives are Goenawan Muhammad, a
senior journalist from the Tempo weekly magazine, R.H. Siregar of
the Suara Pembaruan daily and Atang Ruswita from the Pikiran
Rakyat daily. The other representatives are Jakob Oetama, general
manager of Kompas daily, Surya Paloh, chief editor of Media
Indonesia, Azkarmin Zaini who represents the television industry
and Zainil Abidin Suryokusumo from the radio sector. Atmakusumah
and National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) member
Benjamin Mangkoedilaga represent society.
Atmakusumah, also executive director of the Dr. Soetomo Press
Institute (LPDS), said the nine were elected from 121 candidates
proposed by 33 journalist associations, publishing houses and
television and radio associations.
He said the new press council was expected to be independent
because of the absence of government officials as members.
In the past, the information minister was the ex-officio
chairman of the press council.
Asked about old faces in the council, Atmakusumah said it was
commonplace in developing countries. He said Goenawan could be
seen as a representative of the younger generation.
The President, in his capacity as head of state, will install
the council's new members, but no date has been set. (rms)