Press Freedom for Advancement of Nation

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

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JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Press freedom must benefit the nation. Under press freedom, the mass media must be responsible for keeping the peace and seeing that justice is done. Thus, the mass media must be objective because the government needs critical thought to ensure that the nation moves in the right direction.

President Joko Widodo said since the Reform Era, Indonesia had continued to develop press freedom. “Because the media makes democracy more dynamic. However, today journalism is facing big challenges with the spread of hoaxes and hate speech,” the President said while attending a World Press Freedom Day 2017 commemoration in Jakarta on Wednesday (3/5) night.

Press freedom in Indonesia, the President said, was born after difficult times two decades ago. Passing through the difficult times also made Indonesia powerful, democratic, dynamic and economically competitive. During that time, Indonesia also experienced a peaceful power transition.

“I want to say to all media communities at home and abroad that we would not have been able to face all that without you,” President said.

State Secretary Pratikno and Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara also attended the event. On that occasion, the President also congratulated Dawit Isaak, an Eritrean-Swedish journalist who was awarded the Guillermo Cano Award.

When attending the opening of the World Press Freedom Day commemoration on Wednesday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla invited journalists and mass media to adopt press freedom without intervention. "The media must be objective and it therefore needs to keep that freedom,” he said.

The Vice President acknowledged that the government needed critical thought so that the state could move in the right direction. A critical media could represent society.

That is why good media outlets must win public trust and such trust can grow if the media maintains its objectivity, he said.

“If [the media] writes libel, people will be angry. But if you write based on objective evidence, people will not get angry. Do not demand the right without accepting the obligation. The media has the right to be free, yet there is an obligation to maintain objectivity,” the Vice President said.

Do not demand the right without accepting the obligation. The media has the right to be free, yet there is an obligation to maintain objectivity.

Example

On that occasion, UNESCO secretary-general Irina Bokova said Indonesia was one of the biggest democracies in the world that had committed to maintaining press freedom. Indonesia is also an example of a country with a Press Law and an independent Press Council.

Yet, amid press freedom, she said, there was social transformation along with changes in the media business as well as the development of digital technology and the emergence of new actors, including citizen journalism. This new phenomenon expands the limits of journalism.

The development of digital technology was marked with various impacts, one of which was the spread of fake news. Fake news is a new form of propaganda.

Amid the spread of fake information, Irina Bokova called on journalists to uphold morality.

The Vice President said he himself had fallen victim to fake news. Last week, reports surfaced claiming he had criticized the sending of flower boards to Jakarta City Hall. If he knew of fake news, he would counter it immediately, he said.

The mass media, the Vice President said, should practice self-censorship. One of the jobs was to stop the spread of fake news, especially now that the Network of Anti-Hoax Journalism had been established.

“Now, the ball is in the media\'s court. The government no longer has [authority] to censor or issue permits,” he said.

The mass media also has a responsibility to maintain ethics and internal rules. This is a fundamental responsibility because press freedom must fight for justice and peace.

Meanwhile, those who spread fake news, consisting of hatred, attempts at disunity, fraud or pornography through social media will be charged under the 2016 Electronic Transactions and Information Law. Rudiantara said things not allowed to be distributed on social media included hate speech, and issues concerning ethnicity, religion, race and societal group as well as  fraud, pornography and gambling.

Violence

Although Indonesia has committed to maintaining press freedom, Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) chairman Suwarjono said Indonesia still had work to do regarding press freedom as violence against journalists was increasing.

According to AJI data, in 2014 there were 42 cases of violence against journalists. The number increased to 44 cases in 2015 and 78 cases in 2016.

In 2014 there were 42 cases of violence against journalists. The number increased to 44 cases in 2015 and 78 cases in 2016.

“The number of cases keeps increasing and from January to April 2017 there were already 24 reported cases of violence against journalists. Most of the cases involved intolerant groups during regional elections. If this is taken for granted [as being a risk of the profession], such incidents will occur again, considering the many regional elections in the pipeline,” Suwarjono said.

In West Kalimantan, AJI Pontianak revealed data on violence against journalists that included physical attacks and threats by individuals who sought to hamper journalistic activities. In the 2010-2015 period there were violence against journalists at least in the form of beatings or mob attacks.

AJI advocacy chairman Iman D Nugroho added that violence against journalists was widespread because police personnel continued to have impunity, which protected the perpetrators against legal action.

AJI called for enforcement of the law, particularly concerning legal protection for journalists as stipulated in the Press Law. AJI also demanded access for foreign journalists to do reportage in Papua.

Responding to the demand, Vice President said press freedom in Indonesia knew no borders. “What happens in Jakarta, the freedom is similar in Papua, Sulawesi or Medan,” the Vice President said.

Rudiantara added that the work of journalists was protected under the 1999 Press Law. There is also the journalistic code of ethics, which regulates the work of journalists. Any violations of the code is processed by the Press Council.

(ABK/INA/NDY/MHD/ESA)