The Press Must Remain Balanced and Neutral, Minister Says

Tifatul Sembiring, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, celebrated National Press Day by aknowledging the importance of having an objective, balanced, and neutral press. He also said the press should make national concerns a bigger priority

“This is important, because we need a strong government, but not an authoritarian government, to run the country,” he said during a seminar at the National Media Convention in Jambi, Wednesday (8/2).

Tifatul asserted that the press should be able to mediate public discourse amidst current changes and developments. The press should not limit their involvement to just talking about an issue that leads to civil unrest.

“The press still has a lot of work to do. Today’s press has more freedom than before the reformation,” said Tifatul. He also explained that in this era of information transparency, the press faces challenges to  its supremacy in the national information field.

Meanwhile,  Bagir Manan, Chairman of the National Press Board, said that in the past 66 years since Indonesia became an independent nation, the press has resisted pressure from authoritarian governments for 40 years. Freedom of the press was threatened, but the press remained independent.

According to Bagir, four factors threatened freedom of the press: government authority, certain factional interests, politicalization of the press, and the media's own conduct.

For example, government authorities often issued regulations that restricted journalists' ability to carry out their duties. Certain factions would also engage in activities intended to constrain journalists.

After meeting the President on Monday (6/2), Bagir reported that the President asked the press to become actively involved in supervising the democratization process, including monitoring local election activities to prevent money politics.

“Media supervision of local elections will prevent money politics, resulting in high quality local leaders with integrity,” said Bagir. Bagir also stated that the President was very concerned about money politics in local government, which could hamper the development of democracy in Indonesia.

The President also urged the press to keep providing the public with information. “The press should help the people achieve their ‘right to know’, so people are informed about national and international issues,” Bagir asserted.

Meanwhile, the National Police (Polri) and the National Press Board are currently preparing a draft for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on press dispute settlements, to prepare for a potential rise in press disputes. According to the Chairman of the Public Information Bureau, M Taufiq, the MoU will be signed on Thursday (9/2).

Taufiq explained that the MoU addresses media broadcasts of criminal issues. Eventually, Polri will coordinate with the National Press Board before initiating legal proceedings in criminal cases.

(Rofiq Hidayat / Antara / Mahinda Arkyasa)