Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring has urged Indonesian journalists to defend their long-held values at a time of unprecedented press freedom.
In a keynote address at the opening of the National Convention of the Mass Media on Monday, Tifatul said Indonesia was not likely to return to the era when the government restricted the freedom of the media.
"The administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a beneficiary of press freedom and democracy that have developed over the last 11 years," said the former chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). "Today the question is what follows such freedom," he said.
"We want to appeal to journalists to strive to retain values such as honesty, objectivity, fairness, helping to fight corruption and ensuring a balanced flow of information," he said. The gathering is an annual event organized by the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI). It winds up Tuesday with the celebration of National Press Day.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to address the convention and inaugurate the Indonesian School of Journalism, a collaboration between the PWI and the South Sumatran provincial government.
Tifatul also touched on the potential conflict between idealism and commercial interests in the media, but noted that some recent events provided assurance that the media, by and large, had stuck firmly to its ideals of serving the public interest. He cited the example of the media coverage of the Aceh tsunami in 2004, which created global solidarity and hope for the victims.
Such reportage, he said, had been repeated in other disasters since then, highlighting the coverage of the recent Haiti earthquake as an example.
However, he noted there were times when the media acted against the public interest referring to a recent survey that found that 10 out 75 TV programs were considered to be harmful to the national character.
He also criticized the media's obsession with bad news, saying that while disasters, riots and conflicts certainly merited coverage, the media should also report the many positive aspects of society.
"The public are also entitled to a balanced flow of information," he said. Tifatul said his ministry would spearhead the government in ushering in a new era of freedom of information under a new law effective in May.
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