theIndonesian – Constitutional law expert Mahfud Md said that journalists have a duty to investigate.
This was conveyed by Mahfud following the prohibition of exclusive broadcasts of investigative journalism, as contained in the draft Revision of Law (RUU) Number 32 of 2022 concerning Broadcasting.
“If that is very confusing, the media cannot investigate, the task of the media is to investigate things that people don’t know. The media will be great if it has journalists who can conduct in-depth investigations bravely,” Mahfud said in a statement here on Wednesday.
The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs for the 2019-2023 period believes that prohibiting journalists from conducting investigations and prohibiting the media from broadcasting investigative products is the same as prohibiting people from doing research.
Mahfud feels that the two are the same even though they have different purposes.
“The media is not allowed to investigate, it is the same as prohibiting people from researching, yes, this is just a media need, one is a scientific, technological need. Therefore, we must protest, we must protest, the media cannot investigate,” he said.
In addition, Mahfud sees that today the concept of Indonesian political law is not intact. This makes the orders for the law products that roll out only to the technical ones.
In fact, he said that if you want the political law to improve, there should be a kind of synchronization of the Broadcasting Law. This means that the Broadcasting Law should be able to support each other with the Press Law, Criminal Law, not just picked based on interests.
“Again, how is our political will or higher our morals and ethics in the nation and state, or if we are believers, how do we practice religion, use religion for good, state and nation,” Mahfud explained.
The revision of Law Number 32 of 2022 on broadcasting is currently in the process of harmonization at the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the House of Representatives. Several articles are considered to hinder press freedom in Indonesia, including Article 56 paragraph 2 point c, which prohibits the exclusive broadcast of investigative journalism.
The Indonesian
