RI press can balance and empower society
RI press can balance and empower society
JAKARTA (JP): The national press must address urgent issues at
home and help the quest for social and political empowerment, a
senior journalist said yesterday.
Jacob Oetama, chief editor and co-founder of the leading daily
Kompas, said the media industry should adapt to changing values
"intelligently" and assist various social groups and
organizations to find independence and empowerment.
Jacob was addressing a discussion on the contribution of the
influential Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI)
to press freedom. He was accompanied by Parni Hadi, the editor in
chief at Republika, the ICMI-established daily.
"Freedom of the press (shouldn't be) a luxury. It's a
necessity, without which the press cannot carry out its
function," Jacob said.
According to Jacob, the other task of the domestic press today
is to serve as a bridge between a relatively stable political
life and a growing demand for change.
Alienation, dissatisfaction and a "feeling of emptiness" are
fostered by the domination of certain values in society,
including consumerism, he said.
"In addition, there's also a growing feeling of helplessness
on the part of the people," Jacob told an audience consisting of
students, Moslem leaders and journalists.
Jacob attributed the sense of helplessness to "blocked
communication".
"People are feeling (frustration) with their inability to
adequately voice their aspirations," he explained.
The numerous religious and racial conflicts among social
groups that have been occurring recently might have resulted from
a lack of "communication channels", he said.
Indonesians refer to sensitive issues of religion, race and
social groups by the acronym SARA.
"If the 'non-SARA' channels are not functioning, what can
people do? They then resort to channels of communication which
contain elements of racial and religious (tension), whatever the
consequence," Jacob said.
The senior journalist also said that the press is expected to
help society's quest for greater openness and democratization.
"There's a need for the press to help society find
relief...hopefully, the quest will end in dialog," he said.
Jacob also reminded the press that the effects of a market
economy should be balanced with a respect for social values.
The press should not help form a society that revolves around
the interests of one group, but "a citizenship which eventually
will develop into a civil society," he said.
Parni spoke about the contribution of ICMI and the daily
Republika to greater amicability between Moslems and other groups
in society.
"The wish of ICMI is to establish a participatory, progressive
society in the whole meaning, not just economically," he said.
(swe)