Maverick Indonesia

Indonesian Press Publisher, Are They Qualified?

There was an interesting article in Suara Pembaruan, April 24, 2007.   The article quoted S. Leo Batubara, Vice President of The National Press Council, saying that 70% of Indonesian press publisher are unqualified.  This is indicated by the low circulation, unprofessional reporter and ignorance of the press code of conduct.

Leo Batubara emphasized the importance of improving the journalists’ work as key to solving the problem.  When the journalists can deliver good work, people will trust the media and consequently increase the circulation.  At the end of the day, it will attract more advertisers that will help ensure the sustainability of the business.

The article really worries me. If the fact that 70% of press publisher are unqualified is true, what would happen to the readers?  How can we trust the information that come from the media, while the media are the main source of information?   What if the information are misleading?  We all know that the media is a very compelling opinion former.

The question now is, what do we do about it?  What do the government and the National Press Council do about it? How can we help Indonesian media become not just entertaining, but also a reliable source of information?