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ndonesian journalist organizations and press organizations want to change the day that the national press is celebrated in the country.

Instead of celebrating it on Feb. 9, many have called for National Press Day to be celebrated on a date that is significant to the Indonesian press.

Journalists and press activists have mixed feelings about celebrating the press on its current date. For some, Feb. 9 was a historical moment because it marked the birth of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) in 1946. Then president Soeharto formalized it as National Press Day through a presidential decree in 1985.

Some others consider the date as symbolic of a non-inclusive era for the press, as Soeharto did not acknowledge other press organizations except the PWI. They believed the PWI was heavily controlled by the government, particularly during the New Order era, during which the association supported government-sanctioned bans of several media companies in the 1980s and 1990s.

“It [Feb. 9] does not reflect the spirit of the national press. We should have been able to find other important moments that were suited to the spirit of it,” Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) chairman Suwarjono told The Jakarta Post.

He was speaking at a seminar, which discussed the plan to change the date of National Press Day, among others, held at the Indonesian Press Council on Thursday. Representatives of press organizations, including the PWI and the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI), attended the event. Academicians such as historian Asvi Warman Adam from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and Muhidin M. Dahlan, a researcher of Indonesian press history, as well as senior journalist Atmakusumah Astraatmadja were also present.

The organizations agreed at the seminar that there should be a new date that unifies and is inclusive of all Indonesian press. Some of them said it would be more inclusive to have National Press Day celebrated on Jan. 1, the date when Medan Prijaji, the first Indonesian newspaper, was first published in 1907.

Having circulated in Bandung, West Java, and Jakarta from 1907 to 1912, Medan Prijaji was praised as the first ever publication, one that belonged to a pribumi (native Indonesian), and upheld the spirit of nationalism.

Others suggested that the special day be celebrated on Dec. 7, the date when national press leader Tirto Adhi Soerjo, who was also the founder of Medan Prijaji, passed away in 1918. Tirto fought back against colonialism through his newspaper.

A drafting team has been formed to examine the proposals and a target was set to submit a report to the Press Council by next month.

Team member Y. Hesthi Murthi said it would assess historical and ideological merits behind the new dates proposed. “We wanted to make sure that when we file our report, we have strong historical and ideological reasons to support it,” she told the Post.

Jajang Jamaluddin, also a drafting team member, urged all parties to move beyond dates that were individual in nature. “We should find [a day] that was considered pivotal in the history of our press freedom,” he said.

“I hope National Press Day can be a commemoration day for all Indonesian press organizations and the public,” IJTI chairman Yadi Hendriyana said.

Echoing Jajang and Yadi, PWI chairman Margiono said, “On whether Feb. 9 is appropriate or not as our National Press Day, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m open to changing the date. But it must be based on strong foundations.”

According to the Press Council, a date change was possible because the legal basis of its formation, Presidential Decree No. 5/1985, was no longer valid. (mrc)