Indonesia's democracy is like a faded tapestry that used to be adorned with idealistic threads, brightly coloured, in the early days of reform. Now, the tapestry appears dim, especially the executive's woven threads. It seems tangled and biased, no longer neutral due to being busy weaving personal interests.
The legislature, which should be the cornerstone of justice, has instead succumbed to the whispers and temptations of rulers. The judiciary, the last bastion of justice, also appears to be cracked and threatened to collapse by intervention.
Sad to see it. Only the press, the fourth pillar of democracy seemed to be standing limp. His breath was taken away by the oppression of oligarchs and dynasties. Will he be able to scream the truth amidst the din of interests and interventions? The optimistic answer is, it must be possible.
Also read: Placing the Press as the Fourth Pillar of Democracy
Currently, Indonesian democracy is like a navigator who has lost their compass. Its supporting pillars are increasingly fragile, besieged by "termites" of corruption and human rights violators. The democracy ship is tossed around in the Nusantara ocean. Its passengers are overwhelmed with anxiety and can only beg for help from the weakened democracy ship. Even then, their pleas are hardly heard.
On the horizon, there is no guiding star to be seen. It is covered in fog. The atmosphere is only silent and quiet, while the roar of the waves of power grows louder and more forceful. Will there be a dawn that breaks, or will Indonesian democracy only become a dark footnote in history?
Indonesia's democracy is plagued by anxiety. Its three pillars, namely the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, are becoming weaker. The executive, through its bureaucracy, is no longer neutral in elections, the legislative is dominated by the government coalition, and the judicial branch is often intervened upon. The press, the only remaining pillar, is not spared from the storm that hits its professionalism and independence.
The urgency of independence
Until now, the Indonesian press has not regulated the need for a fire boundary between the editorial room and the press ownership/entrepreneurship space. Therefore, a code of ethics has not yet been developed that regulates running the press business and the journalist profession with clear demarcations.
Journalists work under the shadow of intervention. Charter regarding the ratification of Press Company Standards signed by 18 leaders of press companies during the 64th National Press Day in Palembang whose main aim is to provide press quality standards in terms of reporting, human resources and company organization (Kompas, 4/5/2024) must be immediately manifested.
Why not, because Palembang Charter is the answer to the urgency of protecting the independence of the press so that it can play a more professional role. So far, press independence as a pillar of democracy has not provided a clear guarantee for journalists to work professionally in producing news and information. The existing Press Law or journalistic code of ethics does not yet explicitly regulate this.
The Indonesian press has not yet regulated the need for a fire boundary between the editorial room and the press ownership/entrepreneurship space.
In a country with advanced democracy, there are clear boundaries between the editorial work of the press and the business ownership of a media. This is important to maintain the independence and credibility of journalism and to prevent conflicts of interest.
Media ownership must be separated from business or political interests. This is to prevent media owners from using media in an unbalanced and unprofessional manner. Journalists must have the freedom of expression and be able to criticize the government, corporations, or individuals without fear of intervention.
In 2003, media researcher Guy Berger proved that media outlets with clearer boundaries between the editorial room and ownership tend to be more independent in carrying out their journalistic duties. In his research, Berger analyzed media in various countries and found that outlets with a policy of clear separation between editorial decisions made by the editorial team and interference from media owners have a higher level of independence.
Also read: Journalists are not yet free from media owner intervention
Berger found that when the boundary between the editorial room and media ownership is unclear, media owners tend to influence editorial decisions to match their own agendas or interests. However, in media with clear boundaries, editorial decisions are based on independent and objective journalistic principles, ensuring that the news presented is more reliable to the public.
The independence and professionalism of the media are essential prerequisites as pillars of democracy. The V-Dem Institute's study (2023), titled "The Media and Democracy," found a strong correlation between press freedom and democracy quality.
Countries with independent press tend to have stronger and more accountable democracies. Therefore, the press, as the remaining pillar of democracy, should not be allowed to weaken if we still hope for democracy in this country to stand and support the aspirations of the people.
Aswar Hasan, Lecturer at the Department of Communication Sciences, FISIP, Hasanuddin University, Makassar; Central KPI Commissioner for the 2019/2022 Period
