'TVRI' English news
State-owned TVRI, one of Indonesia's television stations, used to be my favorite. I profoundly love a number of their programs, especially the 6:30 p.m. English news. In fact, I am a keen listener of their Islamic programs, which I also highly appreciate. What actually discourages me is that at the very beginning of the English news program, a multi-pictured twinkling globe is shown. The globe displays some very colorful events from around the world with distinctive photos representing various continents. For example, Asia/Indonesia is represented by a photo of APEC leaders (The event took place in Bogor, south of Jakarta, in 1995).
Unfortunately, TVRI found that a starving African boy is the only thing that should represent Africa, and so the boy's photo always appears on the twinkling globe that highlights coming news details. This is painful, even though TVRI may not even be aware that many Africans in Indonesia may regularly watch their news programs. Further, they should remember that Indonesia-Africa relations are excellent.
In recent years, we have seen more African countries opening up diplomatic missions in Jakarta. The question an African may probably ask is: Does this ignorance of the African continent indicate that TVRI doesn't know any beautiful aspect of African countries?
Or is it just the usual prejudice toward Africa, that has been going on in other places as well? It's displeasing to tell about the disgraceful pictures I saw on the same TVRI channel early in April, 1997. There was soccer report that seemed international. A bleak and gloomy African boys' soccer team was shown for a few seconds, with some fantastic Indonesian soccer footage immediately following. I wonder what was meant by this program. Could this be an attempt to mold public opinion about certain countries? Really, TVRI was way off in this instance, as far as soccer is concerned. Africa is today an indisputable emerging continent, whose marvelous performance is worthy of emulation by developing countries.
BUHARI ABDU
Jakarta