United drive against RI's bad image urged

United drive against RI's bad image urged

JAKARTA (JP): A senior journalist suggests that the government
launch a concerted effort to counter foreign news discrediting
Indonesia by, among other measures, hiring international public
relations companies.

The chief editor of the state news agency Antara, Handjojo
Nitimihardjo, told members of House Commission I visiting his
office at Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, yesterday
that government agencies sometimes use the services of such
companies to present a more favorable image of Indonesia abroad.

He cited the 18-month long Festival of the Indonesian Arts and
Culture held in the United States in 1991 and 1992 as an example
of campaigns to counter bad press about Indonesia.

Former foreign minister Mochtar Kusumaatmadja organized the
event to introduce the diversity of Indonesia's traditional and
contemporary arts and culture.

Those type of events were incidental, however, Handjojo
pointed out. "We need a project exclusively dedicated to do the
job," he told Commission members, who oversee information,
security and political affairs.

He suggested that the project involve a number of
institutions, including the ministries of foreign affairs and
information.

"Hire an international public relations company, if
necessary," he said, adding that the project, however, would be
costly.

Handjojo pointed out that Antara has also been waging a
campaign against foreign "bad news", but added, however, that its
writings alone are inadequate.

"We cannot depend on such measures alone," Handjojo said.

Aminullah Ibrahim from the Armed Forces faction suggested that
Antara send its news reports to Indonesia's embassies abroad to
help them neutralize discrediting stories about Indonesia. He
pointed out that many stories about East Timor, Indonesia's 27th
province, are fabricated.

"Measures should be taken not only to provide correction, but
also more information for the foreign press, which may be
misinformed about -- or misunderstand -- Indonesia," Aminullah
said.

Handjojo said that Antara cannot take up the campaign alone.
"So far, we have done it, but it's still not enough," he said.

During the meeting, Handjojo said that Antara has also been
fighting bad press on Indonesia at home by carefully selecting
and editing foreign news which it distributes to its customers
here.

From 1,600 foreign news reports and 250 stories produced by
its own journalists every day, Antara selects and distributes up
to 80 pieces only, Handjojo said.

Indonesia has two other news agencies: the state-owned Kantor
Berita Nasional Indonesia (KNI) and Pers Angkatan Bersenjata
(PAB), which is owned by the Armed Forces (ABRI). The KNI and PAB
also select foreign news to sell to their customers.

Handjojo said that sometimes their customers demand to use
unedited foreign news. However, "they cannot quote the foreign
press using a Jakarta dateline," he added.

Antara, established in 1937, is currently the biggest news
agency in Indonesia, with 13 bureaus abroad and 27 bureau offices
in every province.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, the Information Ministry's
Director General for Press and Graphics Soebrata and the State
Coordinating Intelligence Board's secretary, Nurhadi
Purwosaputro, are members of Antara's board of patrons. (01)