Press Council: 30 Percent Online Media Violate Journalism Ethics

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Press Council Member Nezar Patria said the rapid development of online media was not in line with compliance with the Journalism Code of Ethics (KEJ). According to Nezar, 30 percent of online media in Indonesia has practiced inaccurate journalism and violated the code of ethics.

“70 percent of other media has been compliant with the journalism code of ethics,” Nezar said in a discussion at Diponegoro University, Semarang, on Saturday, May 30, 2015.

Nezar claimed that 30 percent of online media had been established not for the public interest, but for political, economic, and even blackmailing purposes.

Nezar explained that media business generated less profit than other sectors, such as oil and gas, mining, infrastructure, energy or textile. However, due to its strategic position, business owners tend to tap into media business to accommodate certain interests.

Data from the Press Council in 2012 revealed that in a period of one year, a total of 470 media were reported to the Press Council, of which 90 were online media. The figure increased to 763, of which 193 were online media in the following year.

Overall, online media tends to violate the code of ethics related to accuracy. According to Nezar, media that uses internet as its medium should conduct verifications to maintain accurate publication.

ROFIUDDIN