Page 62 - Varsity Special Issue

60 / Our Community

o
y to v
ice their disc
n
o
Protestors gathered in Cen
tral J
Protestors gathered in Central Jakarta holding a rally to voice their discontent about government’s curb of press freedom in
lding a rall
akarta ho
’
t
vernmen
f press freedom in
rb o
s cu
t go
t abou
ten
rtesy o
f Pagi Indo
ou
nesia)
September 2020 (Photo courtesy of Pagi Indonesia)
September 2020 (Photo c
“We are cautious every time we donesia, so that the truth can be re-
deal with a news story. If a story caus- ported. He also hopes that journalists
es trouble, our visas may be revoked, can enjoy press freedom and stay safe.
and we might be deported right away. *Name changed at interviewee’s
Then we will not be able to work in request.
Indonesia anymore,” Paik says.
While deportation is the worst
consequence for foreign journalists,
local journalists might have a high-
er price to pay for press freedom. A
38-year-old Indonesian National Tel-
evision reporter, Jason* says the gov-
ernment regulations are quite vague
and that makes it difficult for journal-
ists to do reporting.
In a bid to protect the journalists,
he says his news agency censors news
stories to avoid government interfer-
ence. He adds that many journalists
are scared by the government’s curb
on press freedom.
“Not just because I will lose my
job, it really does threaten my life. I
might have to spend the rest of my life
in jail,” he says. P Police blocking the protestors in the street of Jakarta in October 2020. The protest
akarta in October 2020. T
ocking the protestors in the street o
f J
lice bl
he protest
o
Jason thinks that there should be was to sho w their disc o n ten t against the go vernmen t a v ou t the new l y revised la w .
was to show their discontent against the government avout the newly revised law.
a turning point for journalism in In- (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News)
(
)
Photo c
rtesy o
ou
nhap News
o
f Y