Editorial

The media must not overly sensationalize or disregard the facts of a story just to win an increased audience. (StockXchg Photo/Piotr Bizior)

Democratic Freedom Entails Responsibility

Much praise has been heaped on Indonesia for its new-found love of democracy. Since the fall of former President Suharto in 1998, Indonesia has blossomed into the third-largest democracy in the world.

But as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday, on the occasion of National Press Day, we cannot have a free-for-all democracy.

The word democracy comes from the Greek word demos, meaning “the people” and kratia, which means “power.” Stripped to its essence, democracy means the power of the people and has over time come to be seen as the most desirable political system in the world.

Today, we have many shades of representative democracies in the world but each has at its core the spirit of a government that rules in the interest of its people and with their consent. The United States champions democracy, but its founding fathers understood that the young nation needed a system of rules if it was going to prosper, thus it established a constitutional republic.

We need to be aware of the responsibility that democracy puts on any nation. Yes, a democratic government ultimately answers to the people who elected it, but no nation can survive if the people have the power to do absolutely anything they want.

If we have a country and a system without certainties we risk descending into chaos. In a realistic political and social environment we cannot have people making decisions with little regard for their countrymen.

Yudhoyono clearly spelled out this truth in his speech to the nation’s major news organizations on Tuesday. In a democracy the press plays a crucial role in disseminating information that is both accurate and timely. More than that, the press must also educate the people regarding their roles and responsibilities in a democracy, because without rules we will quickly degenerate into a lawless society.

The media has a responsibility here. It must ensure that whatever it prints in newspapers and broadcasts over television and radio is responsible and honest. It cannot and must not overly sensationalize or disregard the facts of a story just to win an increased audience.

True freedom in any political system is found in the ability and opportunity to achieve one’s full potential. The role of the government in a democracy must be to ensure that all citizens have complete access to the full range of opportunities needed to realize their goals and to live their lives to the fullest — but with one important caveat: Do not infringe on the rights of others.

Indonesians should cherish the freedoms they have won over the past dozen years. But they must also understand that these freedoms come with both responsibility and accountability. Democracy can only work if each of us understands our individual role, that this is a process and a journey. The press must help the nation to reach its intended destination.

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