Role of the press
Role of the press
If there is one thing the speaker of the House of
Representatives is known for, it is his straightforward
statements. Given his reputation, it is not surprising that some
of the most pointed criticism of the Indonesian press delivered
by a top-ranking public figure has come from our respected House
Speaker, Wahono.
In essence, as reported by Antara, Wahono -- while addressing
the opening session of the nation's legislature yesterday --
called on the Indonesian press to step up its role in educating
the public so that Indonesians will be in a better position to
monitor and control the actions of high state institutions
effectively. He said this is important in order to guarantee the
public's confidence in the effectiveness of these institutions.
In reference to often heard criticism that the House of
Representatives seems ineffective in controlling government
actions and policies, Wahono said the House's leadership is
paying great attention to President Soeharto's recent statement,
which, in essence, urged the press to help ensure that the
nation's legislature is not disparaged by the public.
"Now is the time for the press to step forward and act.
Communicate every step that is made by the executive, legislative
and even the judiciary branches with the greatest possible
transparency, for what it is worth, and with a news-behind-the-
news by way of setting forth information about the conduct of the
House factions and the party executive boards which control
them," Wahono said.
According to Wahono, the President, as the chief executive,
and the House of Representatives, as his equal partner, have
already paved the way towards establishing greater openness. To
the press, he said, belongs the task of exposing with greater
transparency the behavior of leaders in all the various strata of
society's leadership, "from top to bottom".
All of this, Wahono said, is part of the role of the press as
educator of the people. He warned that this role will be
evaluated for its historic merits by the younger generation which
may ask: Has the press of today performed its role with heroism
or is it merely a press of survival?
The central idea presented by the House speaker in his address
yesterday is, of course, not really new. The press has long felt
the need for greater leeway in information gathering and
reporting, if it is to play its roles in society properly. Up to
a few decades ago, conditions may have warranted tight control of
the press for the sake of preserving stability, which is
necessary for development.
Stability, of course, is still imperative for development.
Proponents of greater freedom, however, have argued that the old
restrictions and overly heavy emphasis on the responsibility
aspect of the press -- as opposed to that of freedom -- may not
necessarily work under present circumstances. A new generation of
Indonesians has emerged. In matters that are of importance to
them, Indonesians are no longer as trusting as they were just a
few decades ago.
People are no longer satisfied with one-sided statements or
explanations. Three decades of political and social education
have honed their sense of justice and fairness. Here, the press
may be able to bridge the differences that could occasionally
arise between the authorities and the public and thus actually
help preserve stability.
This cannot be accomplished by concealing undesirable facts --
which is difficult to do in this age of information -- but by
satisfying the public conscience through balanced reporting and
comments.
Admittedly, it may take some work to find that new balance. As
the situation continues to change, trial and error may be
unavoidable. However, we feel that the end -- which is continued
development towards the realization of a just and prosperous
Indonesia -- is worth the effort. As House speaker Wahono said,
criticism and correction of low-integrity behavior is necessary,
lest we make a mockery of the lofty humanitarian ideas that are
contained in our state philosophy, Pancasila.