Points about Media in A Debate

POSITIVE POINTS

We support the existence of media as the critical element of democracy. Media as a part of journalistic product brings significant contribution on ‘check and balance’ actualization. It nurtures governance process, potraying transparency and also determining accountability of each public decision which relates with social welfare.

There are several characterizations of media which we rely on so that our democratic process can be maintained:

1. Media is a channel of public aspiration. It will represent what majority believes, expects and demands. In the realization of Social Contract principle, media will accommodate all voices to be heard by authorities and urging those to be actualized in the real implementation;
2. Media is a tool of ‘check and balance’. Democracy offers balance of power. The mandate given to the government through election, is such a huge power, and tends to be abused or corrupted. Media will fulfill their obligation by reporting the factual process on detail of policy actualization. Media will confirm every status, current condition and status quo from all stakeholders and discovering those informations to the society. People will get enough information and able to actualize their rationality to determine those with collective standard, also gaining significant input to asses public credibility of officials to be deserved in getting elected or not in the next election;
3. Aligned with ‘check and balance’ principle, media also offers equal channel to clarify. There’s a strict regulation and editing process before the news is broadcasted/printed. Even if particular news are classified as false or misinterpretation, media also accommodates all complains with accessible way of clarification from objected persons and allowing their clarification to be spread publicly;
4. Media is a civilized instrument of democracy, with promoting manner and moral responsilibity during journalistic assi Every journalist is empowered with ethical journalistic code which is strictly regulated by the Board of Ethics. Every journalist is informed enough about procedure standard and code of counduct on their profession. Those systemic procedures will give tangible parameter to identify each possible abusive journalistic investigation in practical.

NEGATIVE POINTS

In the principle, we truly believe on how media matters a lot to the growth of democracy. However, we also find out on how media plays significant role in engineering information that unfortunately can be stirred by media’s owner to be in line with their mission and agenda.

The problem about biased information and even false information (hoax) are also current situation that our society faces during these days.

1. Media is purposed to inform society with many various information, from public general information until specific reporting. Media is not only aimed to inform governance process, but it can be expanded to bring subjective information. Media can support popularity of particular public figure, making our society less rational and changing their perspective to be linear with media publication. It brings the harm to the society because they are violated by not receiving comprehensive information as what our constitution demands;
2. Media is an industry with complex relation with capital and interest. Media industry needs investor to elevate their quality and competitive performance. It is gambled with owner’s interest to be positioned in political occupation and power. We can’t deny the reality on how media can be more focused on specific issue and ignoring another priorities. Framing, headline, and content writing as a part of news contribution is negotiated, and finally deliver biased news to the public.
3. Media should be neutral and proportional as required. But correlation between media industry and investment, already allowed every people to enter, dominate, and acquire the media. It often brings intervention that finally downgrades the credibility of particular media, from public channel to become owner’s popularity tool. It harms society as the owner of public space and public frequency, because they are violated by the media owner’s interest.