Part 1 of 2: Powering the media dynamics for common good

Jakob Oetama, Jakarta

The theme of this Asia Pacific Media Forum is Powering the Media Dynamics. Media dynamics is a phenomenon that has become increasingly "globalized, simultaneous and interactive" in this 21st century.

Together we have witnessed and experienced it. The moment the earthquake-generated tsunamis struck Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Malaysia on Dec. 26, 2004, media across the world reported this massive natural disaster simultaneously. Just as experts and practitioners illustrated, reports on the horrifying disaster "were globalized, instantaneous and interactive."

Mass media -- television stations, the Internet, radio stations and the print media -- the world over reported this calamity around the clock. One could see the vast waves explode as high as 30 meters high at a speed of 400 to 500 kilometers per hour, wreaking havoc and destroying all buildings, trees, roads, bridges, houses and people's lives.

Apart from being broadcast instantaneously all over the world, media reports about the terrifying earthquake and tsunami were also interactive. The intensity of this interactiveness, communication and dialog was so widespread and intensive that it created humanitarian solidarity all over the world. All over the globe, states and their general public as well as their governments came together to offer humanitarian relief.

From the coverage and impact of the global and simultaneous coverage we witnessed the performance of the media at its best in the way it generated such solidarity. Differences -- for example in communication, and even political, economic and ideological disputes -- vanished or were pushed aside. The most noble traits came to the fore, such as understanding, solidarity and mutual assistance.

A disaster of this magnitude, which often arouses awareness and understanding about the common destiny of mankind, created such momentum. Humans, wise men or citizens of the world wherever they were, could utilize such signal-laden momentum.

When we, as observers and practitioners of the mass media from Asia and the Pacific, meet again to discuss mass media problems, it would only be proper that we make the media coverage of the devastating earthquake and tsunami our reference. A reference about what the media is capable of doing, and about making it our duty to make use, every time, of the momentum of events and problems so as to be in the forefront in our work for the well- being of mankind.

Information technology continues to prompt the emergence of new waves and presents a new medium. At first it was the print media, then radio and then film. Television followed much later, and within a relatively short period of time various forms of digitalized media, like the Internet, have sprung up.

The electronic media, especially digitalized media, emerged much later, but its impact and influence have been phenomenal. This form of media is instantaneous because technologically its dissemination is easy and its audience huge. This is especially true in Indonesia, where reading habits remain poor.

The print media, daily newspapers and magazines have therefore had to deal with a serious competitor in luring readers and keeping their attention and in arousing an interest in reading. It is understandable that what can be watched is more attractive than that which can only be read. Watching is more simple than reading in terms of effort and intellectual process. Besides, the emergence of this media -- like it or not -- that can be viewed is associated with an open stage. The habit to view traditional media usually has more entertainment value. Therefore, visual media tends to present anything related to entertainment.

Viewing something, which, and in the context of this conference, refers to watching television and various forms of other digitalized media, is, by some observers, said to have the tendency of being "conversational, friendly, emotional and not too demanding". Reading, meanwhile, requires concentration, an active stance and distance. By contrast, when you view something, you are passive and can be carried away by what you see.

Indonesia's experiences in various things are not much different from those of other developing nations. When a democratic system and the freedom of the press and information prevail, publishing a newspaper or a magazine no longer requires a permit. There are no restrictions. Therefore the number of publications can be vast. While previously Indonesia had only 289 dailies, we now have 1,600. Although the number of media publications has grown many fold, circulation sizes do not match the growth but increase very slowly. Print media readership is left far behind compared with the number of TV viewers and radio listeners.

Several articles claim that everything entertaining, particularly something popular in nature and sometimes considered vulgar, does not have their origins in the all-entertaining aspects of the print media known as tabloids. Tabloids, which were first introduced in the U.S. and Great Britain, have a vast circulation.

Tabloids contain the frivolities of life, light news, popular political stories and stories about life, especially as seen from the angles of crime and sex. The contents relate to daily life and strong criticism. However, there is also a positive view stating that through tabloids, the print media can have their mass print run and at the same time create a popular public stage of which many community members will very fond.

Once again, it is stated, that when the pattern of a tabloid obtained a new stage, namely electronic media and later digitalized media like television, followed later by the Internet and other interactive media, information and coverage associated with entertainment became abundant. It is still information, but information that has a strong element of entertainment and is packaged in the context of entertainment with a stronger attraction.

We in Indonesia find ourselves in this phase. Electronic media, radio, television, the Internet and others now enjoy new momentum: freedom and revolution in the era of information technology. Earlier, the development of IT and media in advanced industrialized nations gave rise to and spread globalization.

And it is true that we in Indonesia and the countries in Asia and the Pacific as well as all other countries in the world find ourselves in this globalized environment. Like it or not, resist it or try to critically and constructively respond to it, this is our new environment.

The writer is Chairman, CEO of Kompas Gramedia.