Status quo forces exploiting press freedom: Gus Dur
Status quo forces exploiting press freedom: Gus Dur
JAKARTA (JP): Forces loyal to former president Soeharto are
fighting against political reforms through the media that they
control, President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Wednesday.
In spite of his accusations, made at a seminar on the ethics
of journalism, the President ruled out controlling the press the
way Soeharto often did.
"Parties defending the (political) status quo are using every
means to prevent change. They do this by buying up shares and
taking control of media institutions," said Gus Dur, as the
President is popularly called.
"Their presence is clearly felt," said the President,
increasingly the target of media criticism.
Status quo is the popular term for forces opposing political
reforms, often those associated with the Soeharto regime.
Although falling short of naming the parties or the media, he
said the media involved are distorting facts, concealing positive
achievements and giving undue attention to the negative aspects
of his administration.
"They make it look like my administration is about to fall
apart," he said.
All the five commercial TV stations are owned or partly owned
by children and cronies of Soeharto. They also control some
newspapers and magazines.
The President criticized the press in general for their
failure to uphold the foremost principle in the journalists' code
of ethics: accuracy.
He said he too had been a victim of journalists' getting their
facts wrong, but added that this was caused largely by the poor
skill of journalists rather than some hidden agenda.
"Accuracy has to do with skill. Without skill, you get all
kinds of funny reports," he said.
Gus Dur said the government has no intention of bringing the
press back under its control, describing the press as the "fourth
estate" in a democracy.
The government will not establish a new institution to
regulate or monitor the press to replace the information ministry
which he abolished in October, he said.
"We leave it to the press and society to interact with one
another to ensure a healthy press," he said.
The President stressed the need for the media to adhere to
their code of ethics and conduct, even more so as they enjoy the
freedom now guaranteed by law.
"Without ethics, the press becomes dictatorial," he said.
The one-day conference was jointly organized by the
Independent Journalist Foundation (YJI) and the Press Council.
The speakers included top media workers and scholars from
Indonesia and neighboring countries.
Conspicuously missing were representatives of the public
although speaker after speaker acknowledged the rampant violation
of ethics by the media in Indonesia.
YJI chairman Roy T. Pakpahan described freedom as a "two-edged
sword", giving journalists real freedom, but at the same time
requiring them to exercise responsibility.
Out of this freedom has come "interpretative journalism"
whereby the media has produced stories not entirely based on
facts but on facts mixed with opinions, he said.
The Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI) has a code of
ethics which many journalists are expected to observe. Last year,
26 media professional organizations drew up a seven-point
Journalists' Code of Ethics which also seeks to stamp out
reckless behavior and corruption, including the practice of media
workers accepting envelopes and bribery.
The Press Council has also been strengthened over the past
year to deal with rising public complaints about the Indonesian
media abusing its freedom.
Jim Carden of Deakin University in Melbourne, likened the
responsibility of journalists to the obligations a car owner must
meet in using the vehicle.
While both enjoy freedom, they are subject to rules and codes
of conduct, he said.
Speaking on the Thai experience, Bangkok Post editor Pichai
Chuensuksawadi stressed the role of society, more than press
laws, codes of ethics or press councils, in ensuring that the
media lived up to its responsibility.
No amount of laws or regulations will stop journalists from
behaving recklessly, he said.
"Journalists' responsibilities comes from here, the heart. The
same with ethics, they come from the heart," Pichai said.
(emb/dja)