Parroting reports

After private TV stations Indosiar, ANteve, SCTV, RCTI and TPI gave accurate and interesting information on events in Indonesia earlier this month, the government, in this case state TV station TVRI, apparently felt it had been left behind by private TV stations. So, in order that interesting reports may not be enjoyed by viewers, Minister of Information Alwi Dahlan took the initiative and announced there would be a TV pool comprising TVRI and private TV stations.

As a result, 6 a.m. news reports are parroted. The reports go through government censorship. The reports are repeated several times. Stale news is broadcast again and again. Obviously this becomes very boring and the news reports have lost their significance.

Creative freedom in reporting has disappeared altogether. I openly lodge a protest against the decision of the information minister, who has "castrated" the reporting of topical news in Indonesia. Where are you headed TVRI?

If this condition continues, I'm afraid TV viewers will shift to other sources for local news.

Radio reports, for example, especially when given live, will attract more listeners. The BBC, ABC, VOA and others have reported events happening in Indonesia. Although we only hear the reports, we do so attentively. And then we try to imagine the actual happenings. Imagining things can sometimes give greater excitement and enjoyment than seeing them with our own eyes. So, if TVRI and private TV stations decide to go on with the kind of reporting they are doing now, goodbye to television. There is a more effective source of news, namely from mouth to mouth. This is sometimes more reliable. Besides, there are still newspapers. Thank God, newspaper reports are still the darling of readers.

GUS-TYANA

Cikampek, West Java