Parroting reports

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