Prabowo Camp Reports Metro TV, Kompas to Press Council

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Campaign Agency (BPN) of Prabowo - Sandiaga reported two national media Metro TV and Kompas.com to Press Council Tuesday, January 22 upon both news regarding Prabowo’s speech during the presidential election debate last Thursday.

Kompas.com through its article entitled 'CEK FAKTA: Prabowo Sebut Jawa Tengah Lebih Luas dari Malaysia' (Check the fact: Prabowo says that Central Java is larger than Malaysia), while Metro TV aired Metro Pagi Primetime with a headline 'Prabowo: Jateng Lebih Luas dari Malaysia' (Prabowo: Central Java is larger than Malaysia).

The member of BPN’s law and advocacy directorate, Hanfi Fajri, said that both media misunderstood Prabowo’s statement. According to him, Prabowo had never stated the region’s area, but the population. “A large number of population,” Handi underlined after submitting a letter of complaint to Press Council in Kebon Sirih, Jakarta.

Kompas.com issued the article during the first election debate on January 17 to compare the candidate statements and the existing data. Kompas through its coverage compared the area of Central Java to Malaysia’s. Metro TV did the same on its news report.

Hanfi said that the two media did not run a cross-check to the BPN on the meaning of Prabowo’s statement during the election debate. He opined that both news was a mere assumption, and did not base on the fact. “Kompas.com and Metro TV made their own conclusion, and did not cross-check it to the resource,” Hanfi remarked.

FIKRI ARIGI