Observers call on reporters to reject Djadja's donation
JAKARTA (JP): Media observers called on Friday for journalists to reject all gifts or "donations" from their news sources, especially from governing parties, in order to maintain their independence and freedom to file reports.
Andi Muis, Mochtar Lubis and Arswendo Atmowiloto told The Jakarta Post separately that the gifts or donations would only undermine the country's recently won press freedom. Former president Soeharto exerted strong control over the media during his 32-year authoritarian rule.
The commentators were commenting on the Rp 100 million (US$14,500) "donation" handed over on Thursday by Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman to journalists covering activities at the Jakarta Military command.
Djadja made the gift a day before he was promoted from his position as chief of the command to the Army's Strategic Reserves Command.
He said the gift could be used by reporters as the initial working capital for the establishment of either a cooperative or a telecommunications kiosk.
Veteran journalist Mochtar Lubis said: "By giving gifts, sources have planted a debt of honor to the journalists. It will inhibit the journalists' freedom in writing his/her reports since they will feel deeply indebted to the sources."
Mochtar said Indonesian journalists must maintain a neutral position in relation to their news sources in order to retain their independence.
"Journalists cover so many events, and (coverage of) those events can create either a good or bad image of the sources before the public (readers).
The former chief editor of the Indonesia Raya daily said the acceptance of gifts from sources would only make journalists reluctant to report facts that reflected badly on the sources. His paper was banned by the country's first president Sukarno and his successor, Soeharto.
Sharing Mochtar's view, Muis, a communications professor at Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, emphasized that the reporters' acceptance of Djadja's donation indicated they had been "coopted by the military".
"Djadja may have given the donation without any hidden agenda, but it will have moral implications for journalists in their reporting of news (about him and the command)," Muis said from Makassar.
He said the journalists would be hesitant to report cases that might push the military into a corner.
Andi cited a 1980s case involving the Thai military, in which local journalists accepted a donation of money.
"Then when a big clash erupted between the military-rule government under Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon with the students in the late 1980s, the military made a political claim on those journalists who had received donations, demanding they back the regime," he said.
The former chief editor of the banned Monitor tabloid, Arswendo, urged the journalists who had accepted Djadja's donation to return the money to the two-star general. He added that many members of the community were suffering economic hardship.
"There are so many people out there, including street children, who need money," Arswendo said after attending a discussion on street children.
Muis said that journalists should maintain the press code of ethics and principles in their relationships with their sources.
"By upholding the journalistic ethics and principles, the sources would not dare to 'bribe' the reporters."
An executive from the journalist's association at the city military command said on Friday that Djadja's gift had been placed in a bank account. He said the money would be used to fund the establishment of a cooperative.
He also told the Post that the donation had led many reporters, including individuals whom he had never met before, to approach him minutes after the handover of the money.
"They thought the money could be distributed easily among the reporters," he said. (asa)