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.