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)