Press reticence linked to publishing requirement
Press reticence linked to publishing requirement
JAKARTA (JP): Obligatory publishing licenses for Indonesian
print media and the continual threat of their revocation has made
the press timid, a mass communications expert said Saturday.
M. Budyatna from the University of Indonesia said requirement
of the license, or SIUPP, contributed to an uncertain future for
the media.
"The publishing license can be revoked at any time without
clear explanation, rendering the Indonesian press timid,"
Budyatna said when addressing a workshop for journalists in
Padang, West Sumatra.
Budyatna, also dean of the university's school of
sociopolitical sciences, said the press was afraid to report on
sensitive issues which might lead to closure, or prohibited from
exploring them by the government.
The government has closed many newspapers and magazines over
the past 30 years, mostly for editorial content. The most recent
were Tempo, DeTIK and Editor newsweeklies in 1994.
Despite calls to end the license requirement, the government
insists it is necessary to ensure the local press is "free but
responsible".
Budyatna detailed the press' role in the fight for
independence during the colonial era and in promoting development
following its achievement, Antara reported.
He said the Indonesian press was not the government's enemy
as it had been during colonial times, and its mission to uphold
truth and justice was undiminished.
"The press' efforts to uphold truth and justice cause it to
fall headfirst into the hands of its partners, namely the
government," Budyatna said.
He cited revocation of 18 publishing licenses since the 1970s.
The press' courage in upholding truth and justice were useless
if they paid the high price of closure, he said, adding that
press solidarity under the circumstances was limited to
expressions of commiseration.
Closures caused a far-reaching impact, particularly in loss of
income of reporters and staff of banned media.
Budyatna said issuing a new license to replace the invalidated
one does not help because it would take time to establish a new
publishing image among the readership.
"Closures of mass media without the media being able to defend
itself can create an unhealthy effect for a democratic press in
Indonesia," he said, adding that the 1982 revision of the Press
Law of 1966 was a good start to creating freer press.
He noted that freedom tied to responsibility is mentioned in
the 1966 law, but said free should not be equated with "anarchy."
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