The media as scapegoat

Today The Jakarta Post celebrates its 18th anniversary. This, for us, provides us with a most propitious moment to reflect on role of the media in this country. For, if any institution in this country has benefited the most from the reformation movement which was set moving in 1997-1998, it is the press.

Since its "liberation" three years ago, the Indonesian press has bloomed and has enjoyed a freedom that is almost without limit.

While many people complain that the reform movement has failed or has since stagnated -- for instance and in particular where political reform, education, or the eradication of corruption are concerned -- the press at present is experiencing its heyday in terms of unparalleled freedom.

In 1999, for example, when the euphoria of press freedom reached its height, it was reported that more than 2000 new publications appeared and the number of journalists jumped from some 8,000 in 1997 to some 30,000 that year.

However, experience has taught us that gaining freedom and becoming more professional are two very different things. The emergence of hundreds of new publications caught media circles by surprise. It is obvious that the media was not prepared for such an onslaught.

Three decades under President Soeharto's authoritarian regime forced the media to concentrate on survival rather instead of on building an infrastructure for itself by providing proper training and education for journalists.

The consequences have been devastating: Untrained and unskilled journalists suddenly flooded the market, causing waves of complaints and protests from both the public and the government.

As the social system of law and order had practically collapsed, the public took the opportunity to take their protests directly to the media, resulting in incidents such as newspaper offices being ransacked by mobs or journalists being beaten up by protesters.

Fortunately, this euphoria is currently beginning to die down and the process of natural selection has begun to filter out the "amateurs", and only the few newcomers who are true professionals have prevailed.

Still, the question remains: does press freedom bring higher standards of professionalism?

Judging by the high number of complaints still received by the press, the answer is no. But a line must be drawn between honest complaints and the remainder.

That the media has its shortcomings is a fact. On the other hand there are people, including government officials, who continuously accuse the media of always twisting or dramatizing the facts.

For example, President Abdurrahman Wahid has repeatedly complained that the media has been "bought" by his opponents, leading to unbalanced reporting at the expense of the President.

Meanwhile, the old practice of government officials denying their statements and attributing unfavorable reports to bad reporting or misquoting by the press, continues. Thus, the practice of turning the media into a scapegoat persists.

Many people tend to forget that the media is a reflection of a country's situation, and that the media is aware of its responsibility.

A recent meeting of the Jakarta Editors Club, a forum of editors of Jakarta's mainstream media examined the role of the media in this kind of "messy" situation. Should the media merely play the role of "recorders of history" or should it do more?

The conclusion of the meeting was the media should share the burden of responsibility with other sectors in society. Within the limits of its ethical and professional standards, the media should contribute to building democracy in this country.

One way to do this is by empowering the public in the exercise of its duties and responsibilities. And also by informing and educating the public to differentiate between what is good and what is bad, right and wrong, and what is good taste and bad taste.

Up to this moment in time, and for the days and months that are to come, this newspaper has pledged its commitment to these principles.