'Press must not abandon idealism'
'Press must not abandon idealism'
By Santi WE Soekanto
MANADO, North Sulawesi (JP): Indonesian journalists received a rap over their knuckles on National Press Day yesterday, when President Soeharto reprimanded them for letting commercial interests overrun idealism.
In his address marking National Press Day, Soeharto deplored the members of the press who even sacrifice the nation's interests for the sake of business.
He noted that newspapers and magazines often expose and package stories in such a way to increase readership.
Sometimes they do it in a way "that is not in agreement with what the nation considers its priorities," he said at the meeting attended by the country's senior journalists and press executives.
He reminded the journalists of the delicate line which separates news reporting from activities which may harm the nation. The press often goes too far and "approaches, or oversteps, the line, creating unrest in this diverse nation".
Soeharto acknowledged the pressure of business competition that drives the press to publish news and pictures which may offend the public's sense of propriety.
"Business competition has driven publishers to make circulation increases their most important goal," he said.
"News and pictures are presented to help sales, neglecting accuracy and the sense of propriety," he said. "This is an unhealthy development, and may threaten our nation. We should guard against it."
The commemoration of National Press Day was also attended by Mrs. Tien Soeharto, Minister of Information Harmoko, several other cabinet ministers, and North Sulawesi Governor C.J. Rantung.
A series of activities, including a press exhibition, are being carried out concurrently to mark the annual event.
Soeharto acknowledged that sometimes there are differences of opinion among the press, the public and the government.
"Such differences are normal in a democratic country," he said.
He reminded the national press that it shoulders the even greater responsibility of safeguarding the nation from potentially unsuitable information from outside sources, he said.
He said the press should be sensitive enough to understand the diversity of the Indonesian society, and to cater to its unique needs. "The press should realize the importance of catching the unspoken message in society," he said.
"Our public has become increasingly critical ... and they demand comprehensive, fast, accurate and reliable information.
"If the national media fails to provide fast, comprehensive, accurate and reliable information, the public will turn to foreign sources of information, whose products may not be suitable," he warned.
Some of the foreign information sources "have missions and visions which may not be in agreement with our nation's interests," he said.
Soeharto justified these expectations of the Indonesian press on the grounds that the domestic press is an important and inseparable part of the nation, which has gone through a lot to reach its current stage of development.
"We have gone through a half century since our independence ... we have had invaluable experiences, some moments which bring hope ... we have experienced some upheavals which almost brought our country to the pit of destruction," he said.
The country has spent some of the 50 years after the declaration of independence in 1945 "to handle upheavals ... in a process of nation building".
"The national press has gone through the ups and downs along the same road that the nation has traveled," he said. "The press is an aspect, which has grown and developed together with the nation."
"The press has played an important role in the country's progress," he said, adding that Indonesia intends to accelerate its forward momentum for the sake of keeping up with other nations.
"We should prepare ourselves ... we must not be left behind," he said. Therefore, "the national press should develop and become a force which encourages healthy development ... and the press should improve its quality."
Minister Harmoko described in his speech how the national press is squeezed between internal and external pressures and challenges.
One of the features of a "healthy press" is its ability to carry out its functions "freely and responsibly", he said.
He also reminded journalists that freedom of the press is not absolute.