Public expects more from 'freed' press
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)