Echoes of Rejection of the Broadcasting Bill Spread to Campus

Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University has started a campus campaign against the Broadcasting Bill which could be detrimental to the press and society.

UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH YOGYAKARTA

Communication science lecturers and academic members of the Communication Science Department at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta have expressed their opposition to the revision of the Broadcasting Law on Friday (May 25, 2024) in Yogyakarta.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The rejection noise towards the Broadcasting Bill is growing louder. After the Press Council, along with press communities ranging from mass media to student press, rejected it, now universities are urging the government and the House of Representatives to stop the legislative process.

Echoes of rejection from this campus started from private universities under the auspices of Muhammadiyah which were initiated from Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University (UMY), Friday ( 5/25/2024). In its official forum and statement, UMY urged the government and DPR RI to immediately stop the discussion process on the Broadcasting Bill.

Communication Science lecturer at UMY, Senja Yustitia, said that the rejection attitude from this campus is part of a healthy democratic process. The government and DPR (People's Representative Council) must get used to tirelessly designing or revising regulations related to anything, not just related to broadcasting.

"The entire UMY Communication Sciences academic community submitted a statement of position to the government, especially the DPR, to stop the revision of the Broadcasting Law process," said Senja in Yogyakarta, Friday (25/5/2024).

KOMPAS/VINA OKTAVIA

Dozens of journalists who are members of the Lampung press freedom coalition held a rally to reject the draft revision of Law Number 32 of 2002 concerning Broadcasting, on Sunday (May 19, 2024).

Senja explained that the draft of the Bill No. 32 of 2002 made by the Commission I of Indonesian Parliament was created without meaningful participation from related parties such as the Press Council, press communities, academics, researchers, and various other press-related sectors. This violates Article 96 of the Law No. 13 of 2022 on the formation of regulations that require meaningful participation from the community every time a law is made/revised.

In substance, UMY educators assess that there are many strange articles in the draft Broadcasting Bill currently on the desk of the Legislative Body (Baleg) of the DPR. For example, Article 50 B Paragraph 2, which prohibits the exclusive airing of investigative journalism.

Senja emphasized that this article has the potential to curb press freedom. In fact, one of the functions of the press guaranteed in Law No. 40/1999 concerning the Press is to carry out its role as a pillar of democracy.

"This is very dangerous because we all know that investigations become journalistic products that can oversee the government and are part of the public's effort to observe the democratic process in Indonesia," he said.

Also read: Revision of the Broadcasting Law and Intentions to Silence Press Freedom

According to Senja, even without being prohibited, current efforts to suppress the press are becoming increasingly evident through the potential for media coverage to be charged with defamation related to articles on defamation. This is a repressive action against journalists who are involved.

Another strange thing in the Broadcasting Bill is the Program Content Standards (PCS). This rule will contain limitations, prohibitions, and obligations for broadcasting organizers as well as overlapping authority between the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) and the Press Council.

In addition, he also highlighted the absence of rules limiting the ownership of private broadcasting institutions. The ownership of these institutions should be regulated to prevent conflicts of interest and to comply with the principles and code of journalistic ethics.

Also read: Presidential Decree on Copyright Publishers Must Improve the Welfare of Journalists and Media Workers

Senja believes that all these irregularities are attempts to open up state intervention in the discussion process carried out by the community as a civilian group. The potential for homogeneity in the broadcasting industry, dominated by one force, either politically or capitalistically, will become even greater.

"Hence, the process of revising this law has become very elitist and is being discussed haphazardly by the DPR, despite the fact that the public and society will be directly affected if this revision is later passed," said Senja.

KOMPAS/ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA

Television journalists carry out live reporting during the Gerindra Party national leadership meeting in Jakarta, Monday (23/10/2023).

Another lecturer at the UMY Communication Science Study Program, Tri Hastuti Nur Rochimah, said that the echo from this campus will become increasingly widespread. UMY started it and will be continued by all campuses under the auspices of Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah throughout Indonesia.

"We have discussed it, it will indeed be a joint movement of the Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah higher education associations," said Tri.

Also read: Revision of the Broadcasting Law Has Not Become a Public Concern

In Jakarta, the public and press communities in Jabodetabek are planning to hold a demonstration rejecting the Broadcasting Bill in front of the Indonesian Parliament Building in Senayan on Monday, May 27th, 2024. This protest is part of a series of waves of rejection towards the Broadcasting Bill that have been carried out in several regions.

The general public is affected

The General Chairperson of the Central Management of the Indonesian Television Journalist Association (IJTI), Herik Kurniawan, stated that the Broadcasting Bill not only has an impact on the press community, but also harms the general public. With restricted press, the public will not receive factual information and may be misled by false narratives.

"I don't know what will happen if these articles pass, investigative journalism is the basis of journalism, the public will be harmed because they get rudimentary information," said Herik.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Legislative Body of the House of Representatives, Supratman Andi Agtas, revealed during a discussion on Satu Meja The Forum on Kompas TV on Wednesday (May 22, 2024) that the draft of the Broadcasting Bill is already on his table, but it has not been discussed by the Legislative Body. He only received the official draft from Commission I of the House of Representatives.

Also read: Press Council Rejects Draft Broadcasting Bill

However, he promised to apply the principle of meaningful participation when the draft Broadcasting Bill is discussed in the Legislative Body of the DPR. All stakeholders, including the Press Council and the press community, will be invited so that the revisions to the law are not perceived as a threat to press freedom.

"Until today, we have not formed a working committee, suddenly there are complaints, and I was contacted. Honestly, I have not read the Broadcasting Bill draft," said Supratman.