Mass Media in Indonesia and Challenge of Objectivity

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) urge that the mass media of Indonesia do accuracy, balance and self-censorship. He also expects misunderstandings between the government, society and the mass media do not occur. President said it in a meeting with leaders of the mass media in the State Palace some time ago. This article will discuss what has been done and the mass media and the government should do.

Objectivity

The Government is concerned that if the mass media have lost the spirit of objectivity in news writing. President hopes that the media do self-censorship. In the other word, he said that the mass media is very weak in the self censorship.

Talking about media objectivity, we will not be able to discuss about the facts, opinions, and fiction. Westerstahl (Mc Quail, 2000), once said that the objective is to load factuality and impartiality. Factuality means truth in which the accuracy holds (directly and carefully), and link the things to be relevant (relevance). Meanwhile, the balance requires impartialities (balance) and neutrality in the reveal something.

Thus, objectivity of information is always honesty, the adequacy of the data, and separates the truth from fiction and self-opinion. It was also necessary to prevent themselves from pursuing something that just simply sensational.

What's been raised by Westerstahl, in practice objectivity is not easy to be translated. Mass media can not be separated from subjectivities or subjectivities that objective. Subjectivities appear if the mass media proclaim an incident that never happened. Meanwhile, the subjectivities that objectives occurred when the mass media straightforward or does not tend to defend a party that is being made. What is it written based on facts that occurred (objective) but are written subjectively.

That case often happens in mass media policy. Even, the newspaper of New York Times (NYT) that have been aged 100 years and 20 presidential guard U.S. interests can not be separated from it. Noam Chomsky once wrote that NYT way of approach is very elitist in nature and emphasizes the importance in the U.S. see the third world countries. Problems in East Timor, Indonesia, for example, NYT is very little writing, while in Vietnam (the U.S. has interests there) so much. But on an 70-year, in much of East Timor human rights violations occur that require serious attention to the real newspapers NYT (Haryanto, 2006).

Moreover, the mass media in Indonesia has not been a century yet, is clearly not easy to do the writing objectivity. It means not defending the media, but we also need to see the other side around the mass media. At least compared to the New Order era, Indonesian mass media at this time is better.

That is not less interesting is the objectivity that occurred on our television media in some cases, it break the objectivity more. We can look at events “entertainment show”. Private television in Indonesia often confound between fact and opinion.

The statement reading by the narrator of events or parties often accuse specific and direct spectators to agree and not agree to the reality that shown. Although, they are only illustrations of what is presented. Words such as "truly tragic", "unfortunately", "no chance" and so on into a concrete example tend it.

Why does it happen? For those who are involved in the event it is not a lot of infotainment that background of journalism. Result, they produce events for the taste of the market. In this case, the power producers are very strong.

In the case of polygamy the Aa Gym (KH Abdullah Gymnastiar one of Islamic Opinion Leader) mass media of Indonesia has succeeded it accuse and influence public opinion to protest. No one really, but it should unilaterally proclaim in? This is separated from and does not agree against polygamy.

Due to the communication is also not proportional, injustice in the community going. For example, why did people protest Aa Gym that marriage again, although legal, approved by first wife and use his funds? How is our energy decrease so we only take the problem of corruption that while polygamy override legislative members and the government often escape from our observations? How are the regions with legislative salary request with a high basic PP no. 37/2006?

Watch Dog

The government, as cited SBY, had worries about objectivity of mass media. However the media have a duty as a watch dog. If the government is not fair, should enable the mass media itself as the watch dog. If mass media do not do that activity, who else? Through various mass media, government and legislative mistake can be controled by the people.

Mass media as a watch dog have the task to display the news, and facts that have to be known by the public. With it, the community continue the media coverage. Next, submit to the court.

If mass media do not watch the dog, the Indonesian system of government will never be better. Corruption will continue to occur, and increasing inequality. Here the role mass media plays an important role.

For the mass media is so partisan it is very difficult to be translated. Because, they are under a certain interest. However, between criticizing the government or defend the government, mass media should choose the second. For where, when and who are in power tend not criticized. Generally, they want to establishment and no flaming. Abuse of power will be increase in such conditions. Lord Acton once said,”Power tends to corrupt, but absolute power corrupt absolutely”.

(Source: Nurudin, “Media Massa dan Tantangan Objektivitas”, Solo Pos, 17 Januari 2007).