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Journalist Murders in Indonesia Attributed to Low Standards

   Sara Schonhardt | Jakarta 02 September 2010

   Journalist  associations  in  Southeast Asia have condemned the recent
   killings  of  several reporters in Indonesia. Media analysts, however,
   say low journalism standards may be partly to blame for the deaths.
   The  death of television reporter Ridwan Salamun, who was killed while
   trying  to  film  a clash between two villages in southeast Maluku, is
   only the latest incident of violence against reporters in Indonesia.
   Since  early  July at least six journalists have complained of threats
   or  intimidation,  and  on  August  2  the  body of freelance reporter
   Ardiansyah Matra'is was found in a river in Papua.
   The  [1]Alliance  of Independent Journalists has called for a thorough
   investigation  into  his  death, which police in Papua have declared a
   suicide.
   Human  rights  activist  and  media  monitor  Andreas Harsono says the
   incidents reveal deep problems with the way journalism is perceived in
   a  country  where  the media expanded rapidly after the fall of former
   autocrat Suharto in 1998.
   "With  the  boom  of these media companies - TVs, radios, newspapers -
   and  the  boom  of journalists, journalists are not as well trained as
   they are supposed to be," Harsono said. "The schools of journalism for
   instance are mostly concentrated in Java and they are still controlled
   by  the  government.  There  is  also the practice of self-censorship,
   which  is  still rampant, and several areas are off limits, especially
   to international journalists, Papua for instance."
   Harsono  says  a  lack  of  professionalism means some journalists put
   themselves  in  danger  because they are not trained to cover riots or
   conflicts.
   Competition  is  also  a  problem. Fifteen companies control around 95
   percent  of  the  news  media  in  Indonesia.  Media analysts say that
   creates  market  pressure  that  forces  many editors to compromise on
   content and keep journalists' salaries low.
   The  average  monthly  wage  for a reporter in Jakarta is around $200,
   only slightly more than the city's minimum. Harsono says poor salaries
   make  journalists  vulnerable  to  bribery,  which  leads to biased or
   inaccurate reporting.
   Those on the outer islands have a tougher time.
   "The  further  the island from Java, usually they are considered to be
   riskier  in their job and either they are very corrupt - easily can be
   bought  -  or  they  are  extremely  idealistic,  to  some extent even
   campaigning journalists," Harsono said.
   Harsono   says  the  poor  quality  of  reporting  makes  some  people
   suspicious  of  journalists.  But  it  is  not  just poor training and
   knowledge of journalism ethics that concerns him. There is also a lack
   of legal protection.
   Largely  because of a large number of defamation cases brought against
   reporters  last  year,  human  rights  watchdog  Freedom  House  lists
   Indonesia's  media  as  only  partly  free in its annual media freedom
   survey.
   Harsono worries that limited access to the outer islands and a lack of
   training  and  protection  will  continue to put journalists' lives at
   risk.

References

   1. http://www.ifj.org/en/articles/the-alliance-of-independent-journalists-elects-new-president-and-secretary-general

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