Semarang - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is asking the country`s media to exercise self-censorship because the era of government control over the press is at an end.
In a speech commemorating National Press Day here Saturday, Yudhoyono said self-censorship should be improved by only reporting "appropriate" news.
"Bans and (state) censorship of the press no longer exist in our country. The press has achieved the freedom it fought for, but the freedom is not absolute," he told some 500 journalists in attendance.
He said that the freedom it had gained, the press should be "dignified, useful and responsible".
"It is the press that should control itself for the good of the nation. The people want the press to provide accurate and objective information," the President said.
He cited the example of the Denmark newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which published satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in September 2005.
The publication sparked outrage among Muslims worldwide, which grew after other foreign media outlets ran the "offensive" cartoons.
Yudhoyono was among the world`s Muslim leaders joining the chorus of condemnation two years ago.
"We should learn a lesson from the case," he said at the ceremony in the Central Java capital.
The President praised the media in Indonesia for consistently delivering correct and fact-based reports, as well as following the journalistic principle of covering both sides of an issue.
"The press should reflect on how much it has contributed to the establishment and consolidation of democracy, in compliance with the `rules of the game`, and how well it has played its role in building the nation`s character and creating social harmony," he said.
However, Yudhoyono said some media outlets in the country were not independent.
"They only think of practical interests. Please don`t be like that. Don`t be too partisan because the word `too` is clearly not good."
Yudhoyono said the media should maintain its independence by not getting involved in business or political interests.
The President also called on media owners to improve the welfare of journalists and give them the opportunity to study and broaden their knowledge.
As part of celebrations for National Press Day, Yudhoyono launched the Newspaper Reading Habit Movement at Tri Lomba Juang field in Semarang. The program is an effort to promote newspaper reading among all people.
The event saw some 10,000 high school students reading newspapers together in the open field.
The President then joined the students in reading some of the newspaper headlines.
"With so many headlines in newspapers, we should only read those that are useful," he told the students.
The President encouraged people to make newspaper reading a habit as a way of learning and contributing to the country`s advancement.
"Let us accustom ourselves with lifelong study, so we can be an advanced nation that is able to compete with others," he said.
"Toward a prosperous nation, we should be skillful and competitive, and we can achieve it through reading."
Saturday`s ceremony was attended by Communications and Information Minister Muhammad Nuh, Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo, Home Minister Mardiyanto, Central Java Governor Ali Mufiz and Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) chairman Tarman Azzam.
Later in the evening, five prominent media figures -- Sabam Siagian of The Jakarta Post, Jacob Oetama of Kompas daily, Jafar M. Assegaf, R.H Siregar and the late Atang Ruswita -- were conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards by the PWI for their dedication to the press.
Source: www.asiamedia.ucla.edu (12 Februari 2008)
