'RCTI' coverage

'RCTI' coverage

RCTI's Seputar Indonesia news coverage on Feb. 1 has
discredited the struggle of the little people for justice. The TV
station has shifted the substance of the demand voiced by the
little people, with suspicions toward us who accompanied the
demonstrators at Bappenas, by saying that they were only used for
the popularity of another group (meaning us). An evil accusation.

The interviews broadcast and the themes of the interviews
chosen were tendentious. In fact, RCTI also interviewed workers
among the demonstrators. These interviews were not aired. What
appeared on screen was an interview with a person who did not
participate in the demonstration (a busker who joined the
demonstration when it was already underway). Neither did RCTI
confirm with us. It only showed part of a reply from one of us
that "these poor people often come to us for help when there is a
problem," an excerpt that is suitable for supporting the
engineered scenario used by RCTI.

We appreciate RCTI's investigative reporting technique. But
what we saw on Feb. 1 was different. RCTI already had a very
deflected framework against the seriousness of the intention and
the political awareness of the poor people. RCTI is of the
opinion that those who are able to plan and to demonstrate
consciously and seriously are students, intellectuals and the
like. The poor people are a dumb crowd that can only be
instigated and engineered -- an excuse that was used by the New
Order for domination and suppression for 32 years. The framework
is reflected in the interviews and the editing of the material in
the field as shown on TV.

WARDAH HAFIDZ

Urban Poor Consortium

Jakarta