TV journalist suggests infotainment programs to abide by principles of journalism

Responding to a disagreement over the role and place of infotainment programs, Indonesian Television Journalist Association chairman Imam Wahyudi has suggested the programs abide by basic rules and ethics of journalism.

Imam refused to join a debate on whether infotainment programs could be considered journalism.

“However, as long as the program provides [entertaining] news to meet the public demand, and not breach people’s private lives, it is journalism,” he told tempointeraktif.com over the weekend.

Imam used the recent sex tapes case, which featuring people allegedly resembling Indonesian top celebrities, as an example.

Imam said the leakage of the videos to the public was factual news. Nevertheless, he did not support the programs to go further voicing concern for the suspects’ family members over the case.

“News must be produced under the journalistic code of ethics and must be objective,” he said.