Risky business

Risky business

With a sigh of relief Indonesians welcomed the news on Monday
afternoon that two of its nationals -- Metro TV journalist Meutya
Hafid and cameraman Budiyanto -- were being released by their
captors in Iraq. The news must be of particular solace to the
families of the two hostages and their colleagues. Hopefully
their release will be confirmed in the coming days with their
safe return to their anxious relatives and friends in Jakarta.

We commend the government, in particular the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, for its quick response during this seven-day
ordeal, and also applaud the various community and religious
leaders who issued personal appeals for the pair's release.

While the extent of the influence of these efforts on the
decision to release Meutya and Budiyanto may never be known, the
captors in a video tape clearly noted that they had taken into
consideration the various appeals along with Indonesia's
consistent record of supporting the Iraqi people.

The two journalists were the third and fourth Indonesians to
have been taken hostage, and eventually released, in Iraq over
the past year. Unfortunately, another Indonesian, engineer Fahmi
Ahmad, was killed in an ambush in northern Iraq in August.

While we cannot condone, and in fact roundly condemn, the
methods used by the insurgents in Iraq, we can to some extent
relate to the sentiment held by many there that their country is
being occupied by a foreign army.

The Indonesian government has reflected the feelings of the
majority of Indonesians who have rejected the invasion and
occupation of Iraq. This consistency in national policy would
have surely helped sway the kidnappers in arriving at their
decision to release the Indonesian nationals.

It is eminently logical for those who claim to be Iraqi
national insurgents to avoid inciting the ire of a nation that
has been most sympathetic toward the plight of the Iraqi people.

The kidnapping of the two journalists once again displays the
hazards of the profession. It is an avocation blind to
nationality or religion. The only currency valuable in this trade
is truth.

We commend the efforts of local media companies who have the
will and resources to send their reporters to hot spots such as
Iraq. Their presence helps to provide a comprehensive picture of
events and reduces dependence on "foreign" media providers which
can slant news stories to fit particular interests.

Even though local journalists have not been as celebrated as
their "Western" counterparts, it is a known fact that Indonesian
press men and women have been consistently present in many of the
world's leading conflict zones over the last three decades --
from Cambodia, Rwanda, the southern Philippines and Russia, to
various hot spots in the Middle East.

Without much fanfare they have educated people here and given
vivid accounts as seen through the eyes of regular Indonesians.

With a blossoming number of media organizations, enhanced
professionalism and the growing thirst of a public that has
become attuned to news, we have come to expect more coverage from
conflict areas both at home and abroad.

As such, it is important for senior management of media
companies to be prepared with various support systems that ease
and facilitate the carrying out of dangerous assignments.

Adequate insurance, company policies that ensure the well-
being of the dependents of the reporters involved, the necessary
training and briefings, and the provision of essential equipment
such as bulletproof vests, satellite phones, etc., all go toward
making the work of journalists in the field that bit easier.

We would strongly urge media advocacy groups and professional
organizations to help encourage news providers to satisfy minimum
standards before sending journalists out on assignment in
conflict zones.

The business of journalism often demands that its principle
actors be willing to court danger, rather than run from it. But
it would be grave negligence to send reporters out without the
necessary basic support, or for news organs to be driven solely
by profit.

No news story is worth dying for, and fortunately in the
latest case no one did.