Nonpartisan media vital for free and fair elections

JAKARTA (JP): As a pillar of democracy, freedom of the press most certainly becomes a vital element for free and fair elections, however, only ethical, fair and balanced reporting would safeguard the elections and contribute to democracy.

According to journalists and election observers, unbalanced reporting during the election process will be an obstacle to democracy and will devalue the elections.

Political observer Andi A. Mallarangeng, said the widespread trend of partisan media groups, which tend to provide sensational and biased reports, would contribute to chaos and confusion among prospective voters.

Speaking at a recent forum hosted by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Andi said mainstream media groups should work together to present balanced views.

President of the Thailand Reporters Association, Kavi Chongkittavorn, said journalists must provide a balanced and fair assessment of all participating parties.

"Journalists must be journalists and not act like a weather forecaster, telling the public which party will win by this much today and that much tomorrow.

"Speculating on a future which has yet to happen, sometimes can cause havoc to a delicate, racially mixed and transitional society like Indonesia," he said.

Dhia Prekasha Yoedha, a founder of the AJI presidium, said journalists working for partisan media automatically precluded having an independent stance.

"A fundamental question that should be asked of all journalists is whether or not they are committed to upholding the ethical code that ideally governs true journalism," Dhia told the forum.

She said many of the new publications and new journalists working in the field, were unaware of the ethical code of journalists, or its role in Indonesia's journalistic history.

For these reasons, a number of journalists' organizations such as AJI have conducted various training programs for their members to ensure they are better prepared to cover election processes and uncover various violations.

The Association of Indonesian Television Journalists (IJTI) likewise has provided training for its members and also non- members.

IJTI chairman Haris Jauhari, said his association would train some 100 reporters in Jakarta and 225 others in Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Denpasar, Ujungpandang, Manado, Pontianak, Medan and Palembang.

Training covers poll rigging practices, legal aspects of election reporting, investigative reporting on elections and reporting under the code of ethics.

"Our activities are (aimed at) educating journalists on how to cover elections in an unbiased manner," Haris said.

He said his association would provide insurance to participating journalists during their election coverage.

Haris said most of the funding would come from the United Nations Development Program, which coordinates foreign assistance for Indonesia's elections.

Some senior journalists, however, expressed concerns over the readiness of the Indonesian press to safeguard free and fair elections.

Chief editor of The Jakarta Post Susanto Pudjomartono, warned there were only about 12,000 reporters across the country.

Reporters would have to be particularly alert for instances of cheating in the polls. The practice of distorting democracy is expected to continue from past elections, despite new rules to control the matter.

"Three crucial stages to be observed are: voter registration, ballot counting and the process of selecting future legislators," Susanto said.

Kavi Chongkittavorn, making suggestions based on Thailand's 66 years of experience covering 20 elections, said journalists must expose vote-buying attempts or any manipulation surrounding the electoral process as preventive measures ahead of the elections.

He said the Indonesian press must be able to gauge and describe the candidates for the legislature and presidency, which will be submitted by dozens of parties.

"Pinpointing party platforms would help the voters make their decisions."

He said journalists must dare to skip unworthy news, especially on issues that potentially could be used by ill- intentioned elements to create disturbances.

The press, he said, should also help manage public expectations, running stories that describe how the achievement of democracy takes time and patience.

The most important thing for the Indonesian press would be to ensure the June 7 election will be carried out without fail, as the electoral process is the only legitimate means to establish a new government with popular support.

"Our experience of the so-called free and fair elections in the region indicate the press has a pivotal role to play to raise public awareness and understanding of the electoral process." (edt/rid)