T

he year 2014 is a political year in which a change of government will take place in the country. One of the ensuing problems is the independence and professionalism of the press vis-à-vis political powers.

Some media owners in the beginning openly decided to enter politics by assuming political party leadership or running for president or vice president. In the context of presidential elections, they later joined political coalitions to support certain presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

What matters is that it is not just the media owners, but also the media they own that have joined the '€œcoalitions'€. The media give brazen and vulgar support to one presidential hopeful, while undermining the legitimacy of the other. They not only ignore the status of public space, but also serve as a means of negative campaigning against a certain presidential aspirant without heeding public criticism.

By positioning themselves as a political instrument and abandoning the principles of impartiality and professionalism, media are in fact staking their credibility. They will have to pay the price for the gamble in the coming short- and long-term.

First, what happens if the pair of candidates already overtly backed by the media finally loses in the presidential race? What happens if the pair already victimized by negative campaigns emerges as the victor? How will the relevant media adapt their attitudes toward the new president over the next five years?

The media should seriously consider this matter. However critical of a president they are, media should remain respectful of institutional symbols and maintain good relations with the president concerned. As indicated by prominent US journalist Bill Kovach, professional media should seek no friends and no foes. The partisan stance as shown by many media outlets will cause them trouble in the future.

Second, the public is actually varied in political preferences. Some people favor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, others choose Prabowo Subianto, while still others are neutral. Whoever emerges as president, the diversity of political choice will continue.

The professional press should serve the political tendencies, information needs and discourses of the different circles. It is not just due to the media'€™s social function, but also because advertisers demand the most extensive coverage of social segments possible.

If, on the other hand, media only facilitate the political leanings and information favorable to a certain group, they will most likely be despised or deserted by other groups. It should be remembered that negative sentiments in society can last for a long time and affect the image, rating and share of audiences of the relevant media.

Third, advertisers are indeed very sensitive to political issues. Various studies have revealed that advertisers tend to avoid the media or programs steeped in politics, let alone politics in the partisan or opposition sense. Media with political inclinations are not seen as conducive to the image-building of products or companies.

Advertisers and advertising bureaus will always refer to the assumption or research finding that people watch television or read newspapers not primarily for political news, but rather for entertainment or information directly related to their daily life: news about basic necessities, employment, classified automobile ads and so forth. The more political media are, the more limited their chance of acquiring '€œbona fide'€ goods or services ads.

Fourth, media with overly political or partisan slants are not conducive to going public to become listed companies. As public companies, the media will be more vulnerable to public criticism. Strong criticism of the media'€™s partisanship, which increases in intensity and enters the public spotlight, can harm '€œmarket sentiments'€ regarding their share prices on the stock exchange.

This is even more the case when there are public statements from the Press Council, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), journalist associations or NGOs criticizing the media'€™s partisan position that are published in other media.

Public companies should really maintain their credibility and avoid actions that can trigger negative public reactions.

Media outlets'€™ decision to enter politics and take sides in the presidential election arena is highly risky for their future as social and business institutions. The media business is one that depends considerably on public confidence. No other business is so closely connected with the public like that of the media. Credibility is therefore the primary concern of the media business.