Public expects more from 'freed' press

JAKARTA (JP): The government's decision last week to eliminate press bans has caused a surge in public expectations over the roles the media should play in society.

Communications expert M. Budyatna and political commentator Wimar Witoelar, interviewed separately Saturday and yesterday, agreed the newfound freedom meant the media would have to be managed even more professionally, and that it should facilitate even further reform.

Budhyatna, a professor at the University of Indonesia, said the media must keep their feet firmly planted on the ground following the revocation of the controversial regulation that allowed the government to nullify the licenses of publications.

"The press must be even more responsible in their reports and should no longer give readers inaccurate stories," said the former dean of the university's school of social and political sciences.

He said now was the time for the Indonesian press to provide better quality reporting and join the campaign to improve human resources.

He also said the press should uphold the principles of integrity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.

"The press should never voice the interests of certain parties," Budhyatna said.

Criticism must be accompanied by propositions, paving the way for "solution journalism", he said.

Meanwhile, Wimar Witoelar said he now expected the press to lead the people another step toward reform. The famed television talk show host, known for his in-depth interviews with prominent individuals, said the campaign for reform was now "stuck", halted in the middle of nowhere.

"The press, given its integrity and access to diverse kinds of sources, is the most prepared social institution to represent the public campaign for reform," he told the Post yesterday.

Wimar said the press should become "a transparent and neutral clearing house, a discourse center" where the public could expect it to exercise social control over the government on behalf of the people.

He said the press should campaign for an "immediate" extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in order to "get back the people's sovereignty from President B.J. Habibie".

"What Habibie has now is not the people's mandate, but (former president) Soeharto's mandate," he said, adding that the press' nature of being part of people's daily lives gave it the role to campaign for the cause.

According to Wimar, it is the press which can help bring back the momentum of reform "that was lost" when the public fell into euphoria following the downfall of Soeharto.

Wimar said the "legitimacy crisis" of Habibie's government could only be cured through an MPR extraordinary session, otherwise the crisis of confidence in the government would cause the country's economic crisis to worsen even further. (byg/aan)