Maverick Indonesia

“Behind the Newsroom Door” with Dalton Tanonaka

“Television is for the eyes, broadcast is for the heart, and print is to stimulate thoughts,” Dalton Tanonaka, news anchor for Metro TV’s Indonesia Now remarked.

On May 15, 2008, American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) invited Dalton Tanonaka to a luncheon at Intercontinental Jakarta MidPlaza. He reported an overview of Indonesia’s press layout and its progress. Indonesia’s media coverage is heading towards the freedom of the press; yet Indonesian journalists are still hesitant to cover sensitive issues.

Dalton Tanonaka said Indonesia should follow in the footsteps of countries that express the freedom of the press by gradually breaking the conventional system. Being in a state of a conventional system does not help generate balanced report on Indonesia’s economic and political issues. Regardless of any political and economic interest, Indonesian journalists are encouraged to produce balanced news. To do so, Indonesian journalists are required to state the sources to support their arguments.

Dalton also cited media coverage on former president Soeharto’s illness and death as an example. Media coverage on the former strongman was excessive and mostly positive although the retired general was facing a series of lawsuits and allegations before his death. Not many articles on the former president cover the other side of the story to balance the report

Although Indonesia has yet entered the freedom of the press stage, it has begun taking small steps towards it. We are more fortunate than China for instance, where censorship is still enforced by the government. Only recently they became more open, partly due to the Beijing Olympics 2008.

Dalton summed up his speech that afternoon by saying that balanced news reports will allow the public to see an issue from different standpoints and consider all sides of the matter. It lets people to properly judge the public and nation’s concerns.

The AMCHAM luncheon was useful and entertaining. Dalton Tanonaka delivered the message in an articulate manner and in hopes of opening new perspectives for the audience to support Indonesia towards the freedom of the press.