RI media strive for balance in war coverage

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The ongoing war in Iraq is seen from different perspectives by local media here despite the fact that all of them oppose the attack.

Chief Editor of Kompas daily, Soeryopratomo, said the newspaper, in spite of its opposition to the United States and its allies, attempted to remain independent by publishing as many facts as possible in its war reports.

"It's not that simple. Journalists are expected to maintain accuracy and independence while searching for stories in a situation which is uneasy and not normal," he told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

A U.S. Embassy official recently complained about partiality on the part of Indonesian media in covering the war in Iraq.

Kompas, the country's largest daily in terms of circulation, relies on foreign news agencies and television channels to obtain news on the warring parties in a bid to maintain its independence, Soeryopratomo said.

"We use stories from Western news agencies as well as those from the Middle East," he said, expressing gratitude for Middle- Eastern media such as Qatar-based Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabia television station for giving an alternative perspective amid Western media domination that enables Kompas to present more balanced reports on the war.

Kompas has also sent its journalists and correspondents to cover the war from the Middle East in an effort to provide independent reports.

Soeryopratomo said that Kompas focused its war reports on human issues, aside from international relations and the incomparable military strength of the two parties.

"Kompas' mission is to boost humanity," he asserted.

In reporting the war, Soeryopratomo said, Kompas avoided publishing pictures featuring blood, violence and any act that was considered inhuman as they were "too harsh and give a negative impression to readers".

Rakyat Merdeka daily has a different policy for its reports on the ongoing war in Iraq. Its front page has been featuring articles related to the war since the U.S.-led alliance attacked Iraq in March. There are the words "Saddam news" under the newspaper's title on the front page.

"We are a voice for the fight of the Iraq people against the U.S.-led alliance," said Teguh Santoso, the executive editor of the newspaper.

The Jakarta-based Rakyat Merdeka believes that the U.S.-led alliance's attack on Iraq has threatened not only the Iraqis, but the whole world. Therefore, Teguh said, the newspaper focuses on "the unique and incredible efforts of Iraq against the U.S.-led alliance's arrogant actions that have ignored the principles of international law and democracy".

Rakyat Merdeka also uses foreign news agencies and television. It also sent its journalist to Middle East to cover the war.

"We don't have to debate about (media) neutrality in this case. It is an issue raised only by certain parties attached to (U.S.) power. It was the same with New Order regime. The essence is they are trying to invade another country," he said.

During the New Order regime, the media was oppressed by the state. Some media groups were used to support the regime for over 32 years.

Editor of Republika daily, which targets Muslim readership, was unavailable for comment on Monday.

After relying only on Al-Jazeera television for about 10 days after the war began, TV7 television also began to air news from London-based BBC television in a bid to offer an alternative perspective to its viewers over the war.

TV7 has aired Al-Jazeera news from 10:30 p.m. to 11 a.m. daily since the war began on March 20.

TV7 spokesperson, Uni Z. Lubis, said that it decided to air BBC reports after a complaint from a U.S. media enterprise that offered TV7 to air its news for free.

"We chose the BBC as it is more independent than other Western media," she said, adding that TV7 also aired news from other Western sources such as Reuters or APTN.

TV7 chose to cooperate with Al-Jazeera as the latter aired more stories about the war's impact on the people and culture in Iraq and because it has access in the country, Uni said. TV7 airs a special report on the humanitarian tragedy in Iraq twice a week.

"Journalists can never really be neutral. They must take the side of the war victims," Uni claims.

Separately, Derek Manangka, the chief editor of RCTI private television channel, said that the station was wary in case the viewers accused it of taking the side of the U.S.-led coalition because it mainly relied on Western media for the news over the war in Iraq.

"We obviously expect to present the war from both sides but it's not an easy task as there is little news from Iraq," he said.

The station, Derek said, also focuses on human issues.

"We don't care who is right or who is wrong, who wins or who loses, but it is obvious that the war has caused human suffering," he added.

RCTI is the first private television station to be established in the country.