'Tempo' said to use press principles

'Tempo' said to use press principles

JAKARTA: Two expert witnesses told the Central Jakarta
District Court on Monday that the Tempo magazine article, 'Is
Tomy in Tenabang?' had complied with all basic journalistic
principles and contained no defamatory or provocative
suggestions.

Communications expert Maswimar Mangiang from the University of
Indonesia said the article in question had covered both sides of
the story as it also included responses from parties related to
preliminary information in the article.

Mangiang, who is also chief editor of the Neraca business
daily, said that responses put at the end of the article did not
suggest a particular opinion to readers, but were there merely
for the sake of its logical structure.

Journalism expert Abdullah Alamhudi from Dr. Soetomo press
institute said journalists could not be held responsible for
misinterpretation by readers who did not read fully a piece that
was journalistically correct.

Businessman Tomy Winata sued Tempo chief editor Bambang
Harymurti and journalists Ahmad Taufik and T. Iskandar Ali for
defamation and provoking public disorder through the article.
They could face a maximum sentence of 10 years under the Criminal
Code if found guilty. -- JP