By: Aldia Putra) *
Prabowo Subianto had protested against the media which did not cover the 212 reunion in Jakarta. This Presidential Candidate Number 2 also touched on the media coverage which did not mention that the people who attended the grand reunion reached millions to tens of millions.
Prabowo expressed his anger through his speech at the 26th International Disability Day in Jakarta. He stated that almost all the media did not want to cover more than 11 million people who gathered. He protested that the media did not mention that the mass in attendance reached 11 million, which according to him was the most mass action without being funded by anyone. Yes, he also regretted why the peaceful protest at the National Monument was not displayed in newspaper headlines.
At that time the media reported that the mass of the reunion 212 only numbered tens of thousands. This is why the general chairman of the Gerindra party did not accept the news from a number of media which stated that there were tens of thousands of participants in the 212 reunion.
Every day Prabowo receives five to eight newspapers. From the newspapers he wanted to see whether the media coverage was false or not. He also pointed out that the media had manipulated democracy, even though medias were responsible for being part of the effort to manipulate it
The leader of the Gerindra party continued to nag. He stated not to acknowledge the journalists who covered it again. He also invited the audience not to respect the journalists anymore. After the event, Prabowo refused to be interviewed by journalists. And he also mentioned that journalists were henchmen who wanted to destroy Indonesia.
Journalists, according to Prabowo, betrayed their own profession as journalists when conducting reunion coverage 212.
This attitude is clearly unethical to be said by the figure of the party leader, he should be able to convey it well, not by accusing or even blaspheming. Because after all the highlight of a journalist’s camera can change public assumptions about him.
Even though some private TV stations also broadcast the program. But it did not take place in most of the program, as was done by TV One, which did broadcast the 212 reunion program for quite a long time.
The television station at that time had broadcast the program in the form of short news that was aired several times. Responding to Prabowo’s protest, of course we need to know that the television station has no obligation to broadcast Reunion 212 which is aired for a long duration like that done by Tv One.
Regarding the number of participants in the 212 reunion it has indeed been a problem since the demonstration on December 2, 2016. Referring to BBC Indonesia’s analysis in December 2016, the number of participants in the action on December 2, 2016 was estimated at 500 thousand people. This calculation is based on an analysis of the area of space and the density of people per square meter. But the committee claimed that the number of participants reached millions of participants. This difference has also sparked debate over various social media timelines.
Other data was confirmed by the Head of Public Relations Division of the Indonesian Police Public Relations Commissioner Syahar Diantoro who received reports from police officers in the field, according to Syahar, the number of mass actions that took part in the 212 reunion in 2018 at Monas ranged from 50 thousand to 60 thousand.
Of course it is strange that journalists who are supposed to work based on facts are even forced to recognize boombastic numbers that tend to be very unreasonable.
In this case, it will certainly reinforce the assumption that Prabowo has not understood the law regarding the press. Because after all the media has independence and is free from pressure to make a news headline.
In formulating Headlines, the media certainly consider well through editorial meetings. If it is said to be not independent, then it is wrong. Because if you write because of pressure, that is precisely what shows that the media is not independent.
In fact mass media and electronic media are the mainstream media of money prioritizing the public interest, not the interests of certain groups who want to exist on the political stage.
Media has a big contribution in determining how “hot” the news is to be delivered to the public. Prabowo’s anger towards the media is clearly a blunder for his electability.
When he only wanted to be interviewed by 1 media, he was not aware that there were many media covering, recording and reporting on the behavior of the horns to the public.
Indeed, not everyone can like what we like, there is certainly a sense of disappointment, but certainly unethical to express with an angry tone to give statements that seem destructive to journalists.
The media has its own independent nature, although sometimes the media also has certain political tendencies, this is certainly legitimate as a part of press freedom.
But that does not mean when disappointed with the media and then convey his disappointment with a surge of anger especially with blasphemy which is considered inappropriate to be heard. Because disappointment can certainly be well communicated, so that balanced news will appear.
*) The author is an observer of political issues
