Media Independence Challenges in the Year of Politics: World Press Freedom Day |
The upcoming 2024 General Election is at stake for media independence in the midst of mass media ownership that has political interests. The responsibility of the mass media to uphold the values of neutral, independent, and accurate journalism must still be maintained in the midst of the economic interests of media companies as business organizations.
The mass media in Indonesia faces great temptations in maintaining independence and neutrality as part of professionalism. The clash of power and economic interests makes independence an aspiration that still takes a long time to realize.
Lecturer at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Malikussaleh University, Dr. Tgk M Rizwan Haji Ali, said that the issue of media independence arose ahead of the election, for three reasons. First, there is a tendency for the mass media to present news from a political mind that is supported by media owners or journalists in the media.
“When media owners or journalists have political affiliations, the news presentation will describe and represent the political conditions supported by those political thoughts. Because of that, many people shouted, people who may be outside the ownership of the media demanded objectivity, neutrality, and independence of the press. Because they don't have that weapon, because the media can be used as a political weapon," said Tgk Rizwan in a public discussion commemorating World Press Freedom Day that was held by the Lhokseumawe Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) at Hiraq Field, Lhokseumawe, Wednesday (10/5/2023) .
Second, continued Mr. Rizwan, the media has the ability to shape the public agenda, so that what was presented by the media which was originally a segmented thought from one political mind, from one political line, from one part of the group's political struggle, when conveyed continuously becomes the public agenda.
"When the public has made it an agenda, it is hoped that there will be a translation of the agenda into electoral support in the form of voting during elections," explained Tgk.
And third, ahead of the political year, it is important to discuss the independence of the press because in a critical view, the media is seen as an ideological battlefield for various ideological forces within the political body. "In fact, if we look at journalism, it has its own ideology, has its own ideals. The ideology of journalism is to deliver news for the benefit of community empowerment," he said.
He thinks talking about media independence in the midst of a conglomeration of media ownership is like dreaming of clearing or offering salty sea water. The big media also have political affiliations and have support in the presidential nomination.
Chairman of AJI Lhokseumawe, Irmansyah, said World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every May 3. However, AJI Lhokseumawe held an event on May 10 by holding a discussion about media independence and democracy being chosen in accordance with the momentum of the 2024 Election whose stages are ongoing.
"Even though we commemorate it simply, it is hoped that it can give a deep message about media independence and the development of democracy, especially in Aceh," said Irman accompanied by AJI Secretary Lhokseumawe Jafaruddin.
The activity began with a photo exhibition about a number of journalists' peaceful actions in Lhokseumawe in 2000, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021 to reject violence and criminalization of journalists. The 16 photos on display were the work of Rahmad YD, an LKBN Antara photographer in Aceh.
Malikussaleh University sociologist Prof. Dr. Nirzalin, as the second source, argued that when the media does not maintain independence, the media will lose the public's trust.
According to him, non-objective reporting related to the vision and mission as well as the competence of the candidate on the political stage of the 2024 Election will have an impact on political choices that are also not appropriate, and produce political leadership that is also not appropriate. This is a big problem when dealing with the existing Indonesia which in 2035 has a demographic bonus, and in 2045 it hopes to become a developed country.
According to Nirzalin, the idealism of the press must always be put forward so that the reporting is full of ethics and objectivity. Regarding the media in Aceh, he thinks they are divided because there are media who are trying to carry out their ideals so that their reporting is based on facts. "However, there are also some press reports that still favor certain interests other than journalistic ideals," said Nirzalin in a discussion guided by Zulfikar Syarif, former secretary of AJI Lhokseumawe.
Responding to a number of questions from the discussion participants, Nirzalin considered that there was no problem with media conglomeration. The problem, according to him, is how the conglomeration of media and advertising then controls press coverage to sway public opinion, so that objectivity becomes blurred and unclear and is conveyed continuously to the public," he explained.
Meanwhile, a journalist source, Ayi Jufridar, said that the temptation for media independence is great during the election season. “But the public can judge which news presented by the media has values of independence and neutrality. When both are mortgaged, the stakes are public trust which is everything for the media," he said.
He alluded to regulations that prohibit television media from blocking time for one of the parties for a long duration during the momentum of the election campaign. "However, there are media that do it," said Ayi while referring to the 2019 general election.
According to him, so far there has been a contradictory situation, on the one hand, the mass media must carry ideological values, and on the other hand "must make peace with economic interests".
“So, actually there is an ideal value that must be achieved, but there is a rational value that is against the interests of the media. If the mass media can no longer carry their ideological values, then they will lose to social media," he said.
He also reminded us that there were many hoaxes circulating during the election period that made the public have to be careful when receiving information.
Apart from holding public discussions, AJI Lhokseumawe also enlivened the celebration of World Press Freedom Day with poetry readings by poets Pimen D Aryjona and Ayi Jufridar. Then there was also the reading of the Acehnese saga by Fuadi Keulayu. There is also a journalistic photo exhibition at Hiraq Field, Lhokseumawe. After holding discussions and art performances, the participants held a long march from Hiraq Field and around Jalan Merdeka Lhokseumawe.
Apart from members of AJI Lhokseumawe, the activity was attended by representatives of the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI) Korda Lhokseumawe, Indonesian Photo Journalists (PFI) Aceh and journalists from other journalistic professional organizations, representatives of Basri Daham Journalism Institute (BJI) Lhokseumawe, Student Press Institute Al- Kalam IAIN Lhokseumawe, HMI Lhokseumawe-North Aceh, LMND Lhokseumawe, PMII Lhokseumawe, and AJI Lhokseumawe Ramadan Journalism Class alumni students in 2023. []
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