Whether the media outlets are able to remain impartial in the whole processes of their journalistic works to meet the people`s rights to know and to consume credible news are not always clear due to the undeniable fact of media conglomeration in Indonesia.
Instead of being impartial in their news reportings and presentations, certain media tend to provide the public with biased contents, which tend to be more favourable to the interests of a certain pair of presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Actually, the issues of partiality and impartiality in the journalistic works of print, electronic, and online media in the country have repeatedly been raised by various interest groups and individuals, particularly ahead of the 2019 presidential race.
Therefore, it is understandable and indispensable if former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is currently general chairman of the Democrat Party, raised this issue when speaking at a commemorative event of his party`s 17th anniversary.
In his speech that he delivered at the occasion, broadcast live nationwide by TV One on Monday evening, Yudhoyono urged all media workers and organizations in the country to maintain their impartiality in their news coverage and news presentation.
The impartiality, he said, was so significant for providing readers and audience with credible news contents because media outlets actually belong to the public.
Yudhoyono`s concerns over the media`s partiality may represent the public interests by considering the immense impact of news contents on building the public opinion that potentially affect the people`s political preferences in the ballot booths.
Besides the issues of partiality and media framing, which, sometimes, make those contesting in the 2019 parliamentary and presidential elections uneasy with the news contents, the spread of fake news and hate speeches are also another serious challenge.
Even, the Democrat Party leader, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has publicly announced that he pledges to hunt a slanderer, who has written and published a fake report in the Hong Kong-based news website "Asia Sentinel" recently till the end of the world.
"Our country is a state of law, not a state of violence. I ensure that we are going to use our legal rights to solve this case. We are chasing the slanderer till the end of the world," he told his party`s cadres.
The former president, commonly known as SBY, said the fake news that Asia Sentinel recently published has damaged the reputation of himself and the Democrat Party.
The Asia Sentinel`s news report, written by John Berthelsen, has accused the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration of involving in the Bank Century scandal and a "vast criminal conspiracy" to swindle the bank`s funds for the interest of his party.
This Hong Kong-based news website`s fake news was then quoted by several mainstream media in Indonesia without clarifying it to the former president, who led Indonesia for 10 years or to his party`s executive board members.
Yudhoyono, whose party officially supports the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair for next year`s presidential election, has absolutely denied the allegation saying that the Asia Sentinel`s news is fake and has ruined the reputation of him and his party.
He could understand the anger of the Democrat Party`s cadres over the intervention of the "foreign hands" into the Indonesian people`s domestic affairs and over the slander that has damaged the reputation of himself and his party during this political season.
But, in responding to this case, Yudhoyono warns the cadres of his Democrat Party of not taking any illegal act against those responsible for slandering him and the party. Instead, he suggests that they take legal measures.
How does Asia Sentinel respond to the reactions of SBY and his party? Instead of being worried, this news website seems to remain consistent with the belief of its editor, John Berthelsen, in the truth and credibility of its news content.
This can be observed from the news update entitled "Asia Sentinel Story on Indonesian Corruption Goes Viral" that it released on September 11, 2018 (https://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/indonesia-sby-government-criminal-conspiracy/).
John Berthelsen is quoted as writing: "An Asia Sentinel article on an investigation filed by a Mauritius-based investment concern in a Mauritius court into financial irregularities by top Indonesian officials has gone viral in Indonesia, causing a huge political brouhaha".
Yudhoyono`s struggle for gaining justice is expected to continue as he has also pledged to chase those responsible for damaging his reputation and that of his Democrat Party till the end of the world.
For all media outlets across Indonesia, being impartial and professional, as echoed by the former Indonesian president, actually represents the public interests for the sake of creating a healthy democracy in the country.
Editing by Bustanuddin
Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
