Press may print full names of crime suspects

Press may print full names of crime suspects

JAKARTA (JP): Local newspapers can now print the full names of
crime suspects. The days of writing only their initials are over.

That's the official word from the Indonesian Journalists
Association (PWI), confirmed yesterday by Syamsul Bahri, a member of
PWI's advisory board, during a discussion of the newly revised code
of ethics for journalists.

The practice of only printing their initials in the past was
introduced chiefly to protect the identity of the suspect to abide
by the principle of the presumption of innocent. It was also adopted
to prevent trial by the press.

Some press publications however have long discarded the practice
and printed the full names of suspects, saying that publishing only
the initials was no guarantee of protecting identities.

Sjamsul, the chief editor of Suara Karya daily, yesterday
explained that the PWI executive board at its recent meeting in
Batam, Riau, agreed to delete this practice from the newly revised
code of ethics.

He stressed however that the code of ethics requires that the
press clearly stipulate the status of the person, whether one is a
suspect, a defendant or already convicted for the crime charged.
This is to ensure that journalists comply with the principle of
presumption of innocence.

The discussion on the PWI's code of ethics was organized by the
Dr. Soetomo Press Institute in cooperation with the Goethe
Institute.

Speakers at the discussion include noted lawyer Todung Mulya
Lubis, senior journalist and the institute's instructor Amir Daud,
lawyer Thomas Tampubolon and Frauke Hobermann, a member of the
Executive Board of the German Journalists Association.

The speakers yesterday agreed that the code of ethics is an
essential component in making journalists more professional in their
reporting. They stressed the importance of adherence to these set of
codes.

Mulya however pointed out that journalism of today has become
rather dry while the profession actually is not simply about news
writing.

The profession is crucial in developing the mentality of the
people in the nation, he said.

"Mass media at one time used to be a market place for ideas,"
Mulya recalled. "Journalists must revitalize this fundamental role."

Sjamsul however cautioned journalists against overstepping their
boundaries, noting an increasing trend for individuals and
organizations to manipulate the press to serve their interests.

"The PWI's board of advisors do not deny that many reporters are
accepting money in return for publishing, or not publishing, a
certain story," he said.

Amir Daud, questioned the effectiveness of the PWI's code of
ethics in the absence of any attempt by the organization to stamp
out the practice of what is known in the trade as "accepting
envelopes".

Mulya also questioned article one of the code of ethics which
stipulate that journalists must always consider the interests of the
nation and the state in writing their articles.

He also questioned the norm among the Indonesian press of
defending the nation, irrespective of whether or not it is on the
wrong side, or of concealing the shortcomings of the country or the
government.

"We cannot maintain the principle of `Right or wrong is my
country' anymore," he said. "We must dare to say "What is right is
right and what is wrong is wrong"."

Hobermann in his presentation said German journalists too have to
abide by their code of ethics.

She said that most German newspapers are allied to the country's
political parties. (imn)