As a nation already consolidating its democracy, Indonesia should be clambering beyond the rudiments of procedural democracy. Elections, free association, the right to expression, etc., are already regarded as inalienable rights within the Indonesian psyche. So too is the role of the press as the fourth pillar of democracy, a term popularized two centuries ago by British parliamentarian Lord Macaulay as he described the gallery of the House of Commons in which reporters sit, as the “fourth estate of the realm”.
The ascent of a free press after the reform era was a cooperative struggle. Media activists and journalists remain at its forefront, but the concept of freedom of expression and freedom of the press would never have prevailed without the complicity of the public, who embraced it as an integral part of the checks and balances, and the vivacity of a republic. The concept of a state-controlled media or an agency to filter information is now regarded as something of a medieval concept in a democratic Indonesia.
The press is certainly an imperfect agent of social discourse. Yet its shortcomings, we believe, are challenges to overcome. And its current failings still outweigh the potential benefits it brings. But even as the nation embraces the concept of free speech, the qualitative nature of such a right is systematically being emasculated. Too often, personal criticism is equated to being a traitor, or a stooge of “foreign” interest. And scrutiny of elected officials is spun either as political sabotage or framed as ethnic-religious interests.
It seems that many in today’s status quo certainly believe in a free press, but one that reports harmonious news that is easy on the mind, and the corporatization of the media. This capitulation of critical reporting is the despotism of the 21st century. The Indonesian press has always had an inherently liberated streak, be it in the colonial or democratic era. It is a hereditary gene in the DNA of all Indonesian editors from the days of Raden Mas Tirtohadisoerjo who founded the first truly Indonesian newspaper, Medan Prijaji, in 1907, to present day ones who struggle with the glut of information, the intrusion of advertisers, political subterfuge and the clamor of the mob.
On this day 67 years ago, Indonesian journalists in Surakarta met to associate and commit themselves to the good of the public and the republic. In what is known as National Press Day, Indonesian journalists are reminded of the commitment — a commitment that is carried out daily, at personal cost and little gain other than the satisfaction of being able to sleep with a clear conscience . In this new age of journalism, the challenge is no longer a free press but an independent one that adheres to the ethics of legacy journalism.
In actual fact, it is an argument of old roots with new branches: an appreciation that the most frank, harsh speech — unless made to incite hatred and discrimination — should not be restricted or condemned to self-censorship in order to build a media industry that is critical of inherited assumptions, kind to competing narratives and tolerant of alternative perspectives. Ideology often separates us, yet dreams and anguish can bring us together. That is the role of a bold and independent press that we should all seek to nurture.
source : the jakarta post
source : the jakarta post
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