Press urged to be accurate in reporting
Press urged to be accurate in reporting
JAKARTA (JP): Observers urged the local press on Saturday to
place more attention on accuracy and developing social
consciousness in presenting news that will educate people rather
than going for tacky or sensational stories.
"I am very concerned about the accuracy and language since I
am often a victim myself. There are even cases of fictitious
reports," sociologist Imam Prasodjo of the University of
Indonesia told a media seminar commemorating the 1st anniversary
of the enactment of Press Law No. 40/1999.
He cited an example from Republika daily in which a story
reported that he had graduated from Gadjah Mada University,
Yogyakarta.
"My friends at the daily have interviewed me from time to time
but how can such a basic mistake be made?" Imam said.
Imam also cited an example of an established daily like Kompas
in one of its editions mistakenly associated him with a mass
forum whose name he had never even heard.
"The report said the forum was supporting the appointment of
Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid (Cak Nur) as one of the
country's presidential candidates. I had the opposite stance as I
preferred Cak Nur not become presidential nominee," Imam said,
while Nurcholish, who was also a speaker at the session, smiled
broadly.
The session also featured former minister of information and
former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of social and political affairs
Lt. Gen. (ret) M. Yunus Yosfiah.
Yunus reminded that press freedom must be fully supported for
the interest and the development of the nation.
"The press is a reflection of our society.
"We have to admit that if the quality of the reports are bad
or sometimes the news being reported is controversial ... it is
because the people here, from the officials to the writers,
probably do not have a good (point of) reference or education and
that affects their character and intelligence," he said.
So the low quality of the media reports are due to the fact
that most Indonesians are not well educated, Yunus said.
"The core of the problem is the failure of our national
education system. Proper training for prospective reporters is
needed," he added.
Imam also reminded that currently there are growing numbers of
identity groups based on religion, ethnicity or race and social
movements such as environmental, women's rights and other non-
government organizations.
"So journalists have to be careful in writing news, because if
they are wrong, they could end up in friction with these groups
or even trigger emotional or group sentiments that lead to
unrest," Imam said.
He cited as example the recent mass mobilization and violence
of Banser security guards of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim
organization's youth wing and Surabaya-based Jawa Pos daily.
Nurcholish reminded the press to have a conscience.
"Public opinion is not always right because it can be
engineered or manipulated. So sincerity is far more important
than (press) freedom," he said.
"I was in United States back in 1990 when one of the editors
of the Washington Post told me that one of their reports had cost
the life of an innocent man," Nurcholish said.
"The Post wrote of an alleged scandal, and it turned out to be
wrong. The daily tried to make it up to the businessman but the
damage was already done. He eventually committed suicide when his
company went down the drain due to the reports.
"Media have the power to do good things or the other way
around, so use the freedom wisely." (edt)