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JAKARTA - - Everyone may not agree with what lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis wrote in The Jakarta Post recently, especially on his description of the press today. Because, actually, not all media published in the reformation era these past two years are as bad as he pictured. However, his observation as a media consumer, often as a source as well, needs further attention, both from the press itself and observers, like those who manage media watch. According to Mulya Lubis, established media mainly follow journalism code of ethics, but not newly published media do not. The lawyer wrote, "Reporters seem to rather put forward their ego first and not paying attention to accuracy and balance and also the possibility of their reports being misguiding. So far there has not been any fit and proper test for reporters, making easy for hoodlums and brokers to enter the press community. Sources are often disappointed when reading their statement misquoted and confusing". Mulya Lubis also quoted a recent survey by the Kompas daily that showed 54.3 per cent of the respondents think that the press takes part in clouding the situation. Only 37.1 per cent think that the press has positive roles. Hopefully the opinions of Mulya Lubis and the respondents are not a product of doubts in the love-hate relations between consumer and the press, and sources and the press. In most cases, news sources would love the press when the press writes good things about them, and on the other hand, they would hate the press when the press writes bad things about them. News sources would run looking for the press when they need it, and run away when they do not need it. Whatever happens to the press these days, the duty of media watch is the same, which is to a critical and objective friend both to the media and the people. Thus, even though media watch would be seen as representing the consumers, its critical attitude towards the press has everything to do with educating and pushing for improvement. That is why it was surprising when a media watch organisation in Bogor recently reported three tabloids to the police for violating the Press Constitution 1999. This was not an act to educate; instead, it was more to punish - which is not the aim of a media watch. The three tabloids that were published in Jakarta had run advertisements with pictures of the use of cigarettes - not allowed by the Press Constitution. The same ads have actually been printed on other media, and I believe they were just careless. After receiving the warning from the Bogor media watch, one of the tabloids changed the design of the cigarette advertisement. I believe the tabloid changed the design not because of fear of prosecution, but more because of its own consciousness. Together with other press observers, such as the Press Council, or even the National Information and Communication Body (BIKN) and the Regional Department of Information and Communication (DIKD), media watch should aim to help trigger improvements on the media's presentation and appearance. - Have the media observed by media watch used a universally accepted journalism standard - in relation with journalism code of ethics? + This means the media have paid attention to the conditions for publishing journalistic creation, such as attention on objectivity, fairness, balance and non bias. + The media are accurate on conveying their factual reports. + The media must respect privacy, as long as the person's behaviour does not disturb the public. + The media must not have prejudice or acting discriminative to a particular tribe, race, skin colour, religion, sex or language. + The media must not despise the value of disadvantaged people such as the needy and those who are mentally and physically handicap. + The media must respect human rights, including the freedom of the press as well as the people's freedom to express and achieve information. + Etc.
Why can language be a problem? I recently read a book that quoted an explanation by a Chinese philosopher Konfusius. Somebody asked him: "What the first thing you would do if you have to run a country?" Konfusius answered: "To straighten the language, of course." "Why?" "If the language is not straight, then what is said is not what is meant. If what is said is not what is meant, then what is supposed to be done is still not done. If it is still not done, then morale and art would slip off. If morale and art slip off, then the direction of justice would be unclear. If justice is unclear, then people could only stand in confusions. That is why, there should not be arbitrariness with all things said. This is the most important out of everything." What is the relation between Konfusius and the work of journalists and the media? Freedom of the press and journalists' freedom in carrying out their social duty could lead them into arbitrary actions. Konfusius seem to want to remind us that journalists in carrying out their work should not act arbitrarily in reporting. What a journalist report should be what he/she means. Arbitrariness should not also be done when journalists gather their information for their reporting. However, managers of media watch, who understand the mechanism of the media and journalists, do not need to become overly suspicious of journalists. More so, they should not generalise a picture of the mass media, as if they all reflect the bad image of the small proportion of unprofessional media. Media watch should not only look to find mistakes and weaknesses of mass media, but also to observe their tenacity in defending justice and searching for the truth in the name of public interest - however bitter those truth might be for those who felt disadvantaged or exploited. Media watch should not only question news coverage and presentation, which tend to corner subjects, but also reporting that are not informative enough, not enough depth, not clear and without follow ups. On the other hand, mass media should be congratulated for their perseverance for following up stories that concern with a great deal of people. It would be ideal if media watch could not only focus on mainstream mass media with vast influence, but also focus on small media that tend to create sensational stories in order to survive the competitive market. Atmakusuma Astraatmadja is Executive Director of the Dr. Soetomo Press Institute (LPDS) based in Jakarta and chair of the Press Council of Indonesia. |
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