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Advances in Indonesian Press Freedoms?

Indonesia`s news media, lively if somewhat undisciplined, are trying to strengthen the institution of journalism in a society molded by decades of authoritarianism. In a ruling hailed by press freedom advocates, the country`s Supreme Court ruled this past Thursday that the editor of a prominent weekly magazine did not defame a powerful businessman, overturned a lower court ruling, and then threw out the editor`s one-year prison sentence.

In overturning the lower court decision, the Supreme Court set a precedent by using a 1999 press law rather than the criminal code to review the case. The press law is based on the public`s right to be informed and on principles of fairness in reporting. "The press is the fourth estate," and its function must be protected, said Justice Djoko Sarwoko.

"The case`s high profile was beneficial," said Janet Steele, a media professor at George Washington University who is in Jakarta on a Fulbright fellowship. "It made a lot of people think: Should a journalist ever go to prison for doing his job? It was just a really happy day," she said. Eddy Suprapto, president of Indonesia`s Alliance of Independent Journalists, said "This is good for press freedom in Indonesia."