Journalism Ethics Amidst the Noise of Opinion

The recent attacks on the Aceh Regional Secretary, M. Nasir Syamaun, have gone beyond the bounds of healthy criticism. This is no longer a matter of public control, but rather a symptom of opinion manipulation that has the potential to undermine the principles of justice and professionalism.

The narrative being constructed suggests a serious legal violation has occurred. In fact, within the framework of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, the case being raised falls under the category of requiring a complaint from the injured party.

The injured party

The question is simple: who was injured, and where is the report? If there is no complaint, then there is no criminal case. If there is no case, then what is the basis for this judgment?

It is at this point that we see something more than mere criticism; it is an attempt to construct a perception to displace facts that are detrimental to one party without providing an opportunity to respond to baseless accusations.

Even more dangerous, some media outlets appear to no longer serve as conveyors of information, but rather as actors in the orchestration of opinion. Provocative headlines, one-sided framing, and the disregard for the presumption of innocence are a form of regression in the practice of defamation disguised as journalism.

It should be remembered that press freedom is not the freedom to judge. There are ethics, standards, and responsibilities as stipulated in Law Number 40/1999 concerning the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics.

Referring to the law and the Journalistic Code of Ethics, there are reports that violate Article 1, which stipulates independent, balanced, accurate, and non-malicious reporting. Balanced reporting stems from thorough verification of circulating issues, and this is not being done by journalists, at least as evident in some reports.

Reporting that is unbalanced, not fully verified, and tends to create stigma is no longer a sound journalistic product, but rather material worthy of review by the Press Council. As the institution authorized to receive complaints about news that is detrimental to the public, the Press Council can issue a review to determine whether a news report violates the Code of Ethics.

Public Sphere and Education

Complaints to the Press Council are not anti-criticism, but rather an effort to ensure the public sphere is not corrupted by misleading information manipulated by certain parties for political purposes, power, and perhaps even money.

Professional press should be aware that they work in the public sphere, not the private sphere. They must understand that issues that attack individuals should not be considered in mass media, which operate based on facts, not rumors.

Furthermore, Article 3 of Law Number 40/1999 emphasizes that the national press functions not only as a medium for information, entertainment, and social control, but also as an educational institution. These principles, functions, rights, obligations, and roles differentiate the information presented by mass media from social media.

We are not merely defending individuals. We are upholding the principle that no one should be judged without a valid legal basis. Today, the target is the Aceh Regional Secretary; tomorrow, it could be anyone.

Aceh should not be led by formed opinions, but by verified truth. And to those who try to play behind the scenes, history always records that power built by unjust oppression will ultimately collapse in the same way. []