Protect the press!

Protect the press!

From Koran Tempo

The Indonesian press has grown a very slow pace without any significant progress, particularly compared to advanced countries where press freedom is highly respected.

As a democratic nation, Indonesia should truly guarantee press freedom by law. The 1999 Press Law interprets press freedom as the freedom to obtain information. In fact, the press seeks, gains and conveys information and views by any means, while press freedom should be a right.

In the past dictatorship regime, the press was subjected to censorship and even publication bans. Today, as the nation claims to be democratic and uphold human rights, press control leads to segmentation under the influence of certain organizations, ideologies, political slants and even racial considerations.

The press is thus disguisedly restricted by such forms of domination, especially through bribery, so that the social control function of the press is yet to be questioned. Journalists have a responsibility to seek the truth, but some circles benefit from the limited income of reporters to dictate and hide the truth.

The government should therefore examine the problem and oppose all attempts to muzzle the press. The public should protect the press and fight all parties trying to utilize it for their own interests. We must start now, otherwise there will be no true freedom.

GLORIA NATALIA Jatinangor, West Java