Press Council, KPI to Supervise Mass Media Ad

VIVAnews - Three agencies, namely General Elections Supervisory Agency, Press Council, and Indonesia Broadcasting Commission (KPI) have made an agreement stated that media may broadcast news, track record, or other form of broadcast as long as it does not lead to a campaign of elections' participants during the campaign recess from April 6 until 8. Subsequently, media is strictly banned from campaign advertising.

According to the deputy chairperson of the Press Council Sabam Leo Batubara's statement, any violation by the media will be reviewed by the acting authorities, i.e. the Press Council and Indonesia Broadcasting Commission (KPI). "We return to each regulation, the elections' participant are monitored by the supervisory agency. We cannot infiltrate that area," Batubara said at Millenium Hotel Jakarta on Thursday, April 2.

Therefore, if a violation is occurred, the Press Council is ready to make considerations and give sanction according to the ethic code of journalism.

Conforming the Press Council's statement, an official of the General Elections Supervisory Agency Wirdyaningsih said that the mass media's violation will be considered based on the regulations. "If [the violation] involves aspersion, article 130 of the penal code on aspersion will be enacted," Wirdyaningsih said.

Wirdyaningsih further added that the agreement made by the three agencies which permits media to run news on general elections in campaign recess period shows a support for freedom of press. "We need to maintain the notion of press freedom," Wirdyaningsih stated.

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Translated by: Ariyantri E. Tarman