Efforts to Enforce Fair Journalism

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

Samuel Hutabarat holds a photo of his son, Nofriansyah Yosua alias Brigadier J, at Sungai Bahar, Muaro Jambi Regency, Saturday (23/7/2022).

On Friday, 29 July 2022, the Kompas Ombudsman Forum discussed the coverage on the death of Brig. J (Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat). Since his death on 8 July 2022, or since it was initially reported on 11 July 2022. The media was still reporting on the incident as of Monday, 31 July.

During that time, Kompas, through its print editions and its digital platform Kompas.id, has published at least 92 articles and news footage. Yes, the wider public is still following this case and is still waiting for the conclusion to the story of the killing of Brig. J.

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To this day, it is still unclear what problem led to the incident at the official residence of Insp. Gen. Ferdy Sambo, who has been suspended as the head of the National Police’s Profession and Security Division (Propam). The incident resulted in a fatality, namely Brig. J, allegedly as a result of being shot and killed by Second Agent (Bharada) E (Richard). The public has followed this event with mixed feelings: seeing many irregularities, sensing a cover-up, and observing an excessive response from some members of the police force.

According to his observations, "police culture" was one factor that could not be separated from the case of Brig. J.

Adrianus Meliala, a professor of criminology from the University of Indonesia and a former member of the National Police Commission for the 2012-2016 period, had a very interesting presentation during the Kompas Ombudsman’s discussion forum. According to his observations, "police culture" was one factor that could not be separated from the case of Brig. J.

Police culture described "the views and behavior of the police force as an extended family towards themselves, fellow police officers, their duties as police officers and serving the public as a purpose of policing, which are habitual and difficult to change". As a family, every problem was then seen as how it related to the extended family and whether it was beneficial or threatening.

Adrianus added that one aspect of police culture was that "fellow police officers have secrets that the public don't need to know [police code of silence]". In layman’s terms, this could be said to be a kind of "need to know” in keeping the family’s secrets.

KOMPAS

Insp. Gen. Ferdy Sambo

To overcome this situation, Adrianus said there was a need for police accountability as an institution, which included: political accountability, procedural accountability, police activity accountability, management and organizational accountability, and financial accountability.

We certainly hope that this code of silence has not developed as a result of all the media coverage on this incident, which must represent fair and objective journalism.

Ashadi Siregar, the chairman of the Kompas Ombudsman, said: “The operation [way of work] of journalism needs to distinguish between the three levels of factual truth, namely empirical, legal, and fair. Empirical truth is entirely objective and does not involve [individual] perspectives. This is different from legal truth, which is textually formal. Likewise, truth according to justice departs from the value

of universal or transcendental humanism. These two truths fall within the framework of the judicial perspective.”

However, what must not be forgotten is how a case like this, which is being laid bare to the wider community, also needs careful attention to violence, crime, and complaints to the police, which are often ignored.

This means that in covering the case of Brig. J, the media need to consider the judicial aspects that arise. On the one hand, the case has attracted the attention of the wider public, so each step in the investigation is being observed carefully. However, what must not be forgotten is how a case like this, which is being laid bare to the wider community, also needs careful attention to violence, crime, and complaints to the police, which are often ignored.

We certainly hope that the scientific criminal investigation will provide clarity and no longer cause public confusion. The media’s focus must be on substantive facts, not the flurry of sensational facts that are being covered by both conventional media and social media. Fair journalism must be applied to factual substance, not to factual sensation.

The media coverage has not revealed the details of this case because it has raised many questions from the outset. However, what should not be forgotten is the big picture of how justice can be served in this case. Who is the real perpetrator, why did this happen, and what sanctions will be imposed on them? Everyone is equal before the law, and this value must be enforced.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Bhayangkara Dua E (center) arrives at the Komnas HAM Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (26/7/2022). Komnas HAM asked for information from the aide to the Head of the Professional and Security Division of the National Police (off) Inspector General Ferdy Sambo regarding the shootout incident at the official residence of Inspector General Ferdy Sambo.

The National Police are a highly respectable institution among the state institutions in Indonesia. Article 2 of the Law on the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia No. 2/2002 states: "The function of the police is one of the functions of the state government in the provision of public security and order, law enforcement, protection, support, and service to the people.”

National Police Regulation No. 7/2022 on the Code of Professional Ethics was also issued, as was the National Police Code of Ethics, which was ratified on 14 June 2022. This poilce code of ethics governs many aspects, namely state ethics, institutional ethics, and social ethics and individual ethics. The wisdom in the Spider-man film franchise resonates: "Great power comes with great responsibility".

How should the media, especially Kompas, cover this incident? Of course, by working in the way of journalistic standards: checking all available information (both official and unofficial), referring to various relevant sources, rechecking the information, and presenting the findings so far and what aspects still remain unanswered.

We hope that this case will be resolved soon and that it involves transparency. We hope that incidents involving the protectors of the public are followed up proportionally, because these are lessons for the people on whether they will continue to accept and trust these protectors.

If you have a personal opinion on Kompas’ reporting, please email your views to [e-mail]

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)