85 Percent of Indonesian Journalists Not Understanding of Journalism Ethics Code

According to the research results of Journalism Indonesia Alliance (AJI) in 2006, found that 85 percent of journalists in Indonesia have never read and understand the code of journalistic ethics.

According Alamudi Abdullah, Chairman of the Public Complaints Commission, the Press Council, it was because the number of media that emerged after the New Order era ended. The number of media causes everyone can be a journalist without adequate supplies.

"In the New Order era there were only 289 media, four years after Suharto stepped down, the media jumped to 1,800. Where human resources," he said at the Press Council Building, Jakarta, Thursday (27 / 8) night.

Other causes, he added, until now there has been no school really is for people who want to become journalists. "In fact, many who want to be a journalist. Because journalists are also still has a high social value," he said.

In addition, many journalists who feel a journalistic code of ethics is only limited space for them. "From the 40 participants said that journalism courses can not write a story if it follows the existing code of ethics," he explained.

Alamudi regretted it. According to him, without understanding the code of ethics, a journalist will not balance in preaching. This is detrimental the media as a whole. "The reason people will judge all the media poorly. Considered too far," he said.

He said, to overcome that problem, the Press Council was trying to socialize the importance of understanding the code. "Journalists should read the Act of Journalism who is only 11 chapters. If I can actually read the other rules, too," he said.