House to probe satellite fiasco

by Ridwan Max Sijabat

The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The House of Representatives has established a working committee to investigate the government’s failure to extend the operational license for an Indonesia satellite & examine the uregulated issuance of frequency permits for radio & TV stations.

Both cases, legislators alleged, have caused trillions of rupiah in losses to the state.

Jeffrey Massie, a Prosperous Peace Party legislator, said in a press conference here Monday that the House’s Commission I for Information, defense & foreign affairs would luanch the investigation with a closed-door meeting with Communication & Information Minister M. Nuh & Basuki, director general of post & telecommunications at the communication ministry, on July 2.

“The two government officials must give satisfactory explanations on why the government had forgotten to re-register the slot for Palapa at 150 degrees 30 minutes east longitude, the designated space for the Indonesian satellite, to the International Telecommunications Union,” he said.

The inquiry was initiated following Basuki’s confession at a hearing with the commision last week that the government  had neglected to re-register the slot for Palapa. Basuki admitted that potential state losses from the blunder could come to around US$ 7 billion.

The Palapa C-4 satellite, which was placed into geostationary orbit some 36,000 kilometers above the equator in 1996, is operated by state-owned firm PT Indosat.

The permit for the orbital slot should have been renewed by the government upon its expiration in May 2006.

Accompanying Jeffrey at the press conference, legislator Effendy Choirie of the National Awakening Party faction said the working committee aimed to discern whether government negligence was to blame for the failure to renew the orbital slot, or a conspiracy “among certain parties” to ensure the integrated defense system satellite was a catastrophe.

“The government should reveal the losses the state is suffering from the (satellite) case and find out whether Singapore’s Temasek, which owns the majority of shares in Indosat, was involved in (the conspiracy),” he said.

In a previous hearing, the commission pushed the government to repurchase or nationalize Temasek’s shares in Indosat citing national interests, especially those in the defense sector.

Jeffrey said the working committee would also investigate the issuance of frequency permits for radio & television stations, which the commission alleged had returned insufficient revenue to the state.

“According to reliable sources, a private TV station pays only Rp 600 million (US$ 66,445) for a frequency permit, while the TV station has grabbed more than Rp 2 trillion in annual profit from its advertisements,” Jeffrey said, adding that frequency permits required regulation with fixed tariffs that were equally applicable to every station.

Source: The Jakarta Post  newspaper, Tuesday (26/6). p. 9

Advertisement Budget Arouse

According to AC Nielsen Advertising Service, Advertisement Budget spend in Indonesia within first quartile of 20007 arouse. The percentage is 19 % with amount of more than Rp 30 trillion. AC Nielsen make projection, this spending will achieve until Rp 30 trillion at the last of the year. It means increasing until 15 % compared with last year budget. But if we compared 2006 increase than 2005, it looks smaller because 2006 percentile increase is 17 %.

National Advertisement Budget Spending most occupy by television worth 70 %. The rest of it placed at newspaper and magazine. This AC Nielsen’s survey based on research on 19 TV station, 82 newspaper and 127 magazine & tabloid in Indonesia.

5 Misunderstanding about PR

Five Misunderstanding about the meaning of Public Relation:

1. PR is Personal Relations
2. PR is Propaganda
3. PR is Publicity
4. PR is Free Advertising
5. PR is Smile Selling.

Kasali, Rhenald. 1994 . Manajemen Public Relations: Konsep & Aplikasinya di Indonesia (Public Relations Management: It’s Concept & Application in Indonesia) . Jakarta:Grafiti. p.7-8.

New Journalism Division

Division of new journalism according to Fedler:

1. Advocacy Journalism: journalistic activity which trying to put opinion inside any article. Every reportage -without fact denying-  aimed to establish public opinion. As a good example, famous Time magazine had practised this kind of journalism for 30 years. Readers Digest and Newsweek is another good example. In this case, journalist make their opinion on one issue they reported based on fact finding they did.   
2. Alternative Journalism: a kind of journalism related with internal publication and more personal. They write hot issues in their community with more ‘polite’ word chosen than underground newspaper. They write about corruption as an example, but they provide more data and deeper insight writing than underground newspaper. They don’t act as a watchdog, but they bite ‘the bad guy’ still.
3. Precision Journalism: journalistic activity which pressing precision of information using social science approach in its work process. Precision journalism focus on data research work. Journalistic work framed with empirical information precision measurement.
4. Literary Journalism: using of fiction writing style for reporting dramatization and making more interesting article. Literary journalism providing subject portrait details, which give to readers by writer to think, imagine, and concluded from. Readers have such a freedom to imagine facts list which wrote down by journalist in the list of scene, conversation, and situation surveillance.

Adapted by Bhayu M.H. from source: Fred Fedler. 1978. An Introduction to the Mass Media. Florida: Florida Technological University. p. 401-407.

Sangpejalan

     

Title: Sangpejalan (The Wayfarer). Author: Bhayu Mahendra H. Publisher: Jakarta:Pustaka Merah Putih, 2007. Language: Bahasa Indoensia.

This is my new book in poetry. Actually, this is my first book also, excluded academic publication like mini-thesis (skripsi) or anthology book. Consist of 27 poetries based on my contemplation about God, circumstances, and self.

Strategi Perancangan Iklan Televisi Perusahaan Top Dunia.

Title: Strategi Perancangan Iklan Televisi Perusahaan Top Dunia. (Television Commercial Advertisement Designing Strategy of World Top Companies.). Author: M. Suyanto. Publisher: Yogyakarta: Andi, 2005. Language: Bahasa Indonesia. BMH Rating: 4 out of 5  

Very useful book for student, completed with many examples from world class ad. Printed on full color with bright paper, this Indonesian book looks like foreign book. Student will get much knowledge here and see the implementation of theories in final ad. If you are a practician already, maybe this book can give you some idea. But actually what wrote on this book are your past time. You have got a kind of bulk like this on college. So, I give 4,5 rating because of this book wrote carefully, have a good structure, enjoy to read, and pleasant to see with color picture. One little lacking of this book is its using of language are too technical for rookie. You should have adequate knowledge about advertising to read. But still, this book useful for students and everyone who wants to know more about advertising, especially TV ad.

Jurnalisme Damai

Title: Jurnalisme Damai: Meretas Ideologi Peliputan di Area Konflik. (Peace Journalism: Breaking Reportage Ideology in Conflict Area). Author: Iswandi Syahputra. Publisher: Yogyakarta: P_Idea, 2006. Language: Bahasa Indonesia. BMH Rating: 3,5 out of 5

Good news for war –or to be- journalist. This is a new generation of war journalist in Indonesia which wrote down his experience in a book. We know in the past there are Rosihan Anwar, Hendro Subroto, or Oscar Motuloh which wrote such a book like this.  

When we read this book, we can see through the eyes of the writer about situation in Aceh. It will be very interesting if he wrote his book with journal style. This approach used by Hendro Subroto in his book Perjalanan Seorang Wartawan Perang (1998) and Saksi Mata Perjuangan Integrasi Timor Timur (2000). But Iswandi Syahtputra trapped in the mixed style of writing between first person view (as a journey report) and third person view (as a academic writing). First half of his book wrote about communication theory especially in peace journalism, but at the rest he told a story of his experience in Aceh during Martial Law (1999-2005).

However, this book is interesting. Took excerpts parts from writer’s thesis at Communication Postgraduate Studies at Universitas Indonesia, he try to explain one perspective in journalism: Peace Journalism. Beside that, I noticed useful fact from this book I didn’t know before. Such as GAM headquarters at Nissam (p. 230-235) or story about U.S. mystery journalist William Nessen (p. 213-216). Finally, my opinion about this book is useful for communication or journalism student and fun to read for real journalist or common people. But go straight further to chapter four if you dislike theory too much. It is a real excitement reading another side view of war.

Message Appeals

 

Some ads are designed to appeal to the rational, logical aspect of the consumer’s decision-making process; others appeal to feelings in an attempt to evoke some emotional reaction. Many believe that effective advertising combines the practical reasons for purchasing a product with emotional values. There are several commons types of message appeals:

• Comparative advertising refers to the practice of either directly or indirectly naming competitors in   an ad and comparing one or more specific attributes. (William L. Wilkie & Paul W. Farris, “Comparative Advertising: Problems & Potential,” Journal of Marketing 39 (1975), pp. 7-15)
• Fear appeals. Fear is an emotional response to a threat that expresses, or at least implies, some sort of danger. Ads sometimes use fear appeals to evoke this emotional response and arouse individuals to take steps to remove the threat.
• Humor appeals. Humorous ads are often the best known and best remembered of all advertising messages. Advertisers use humor for many reasons. Humorous messages attract and hold consumer’s attention. They enhance effectiveness by putting consumers in a positive mood, increasing their liking of the ad itself & their feeling toward the product or service. And humor can act as a distraction, reducing the likelihood that the receiver will counter argue against the message. ^*)

Of course there are more than three appeals using in advertising. You can see the list on my posting titled “Sex Doesn’t Sell?” under categories Articles/Hot Issue (June 8, 2007). Each of those appeals has the same purpose: grab the audience attention. Nowadays, using more than one appeal in single advertisement looks common. Many agencies just try to be creative in this information flood era. 

Source: all writing before ^*) mark cited from Belch, E George & Belch, Michael E. Introducing to Advertising & Promotion: an Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective (3^rd Ed.). Chicago: Irwin, 1995. p. 202-205, otherwise is Bhayu’s comment. 

Photo caption (from left to right): California Slim uses a comparative message to position itself against Ultra Slim-Fast. (left) Fear appeals are used to show the dangers of using drugs. (middle) Miller Lite used humorous ads in a campaign that lasted over 20 years. (right). Source: ibid

The Balance of Information in Media

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THE BALANCE OF INFORMATION IN MEDIA

by Bhayu M.H. 

Whenever media cover any news, they hoped to provide information for public. But practically, it will be hard effort to make a qualified balance article. Somehow, journalists fall into dilemmatic decision to choose one side view in writing.  Here below I just want to make a list about several hard situations usually facing by journalist. These situations which in several ways push them to take one side story only and prevent them from make cover both side story.

1. Balance in conflict                                                                                      This is the hardest choice to make, especially if journalist wants to report war. In fact, often they should make choice with joint to one side only. The reason is the journalist safety itself. If you are embedded journalist, stay at one side and do not communicate with the other side. But if you aren’t, prove your neutrality with your reporting. Bring your former writing or taping and show the both side that your report was balance.
2. Balance in nationality                                                                                      A little group of chosen media invited by Information Centre of Indonesian National Armed Force/Indonesian Military (TNI) in 2003 to attend special training designed for embedded journalist. But they don’t want controlled by government side, polemic spreading in media. Is patriotic journalism like Maj.Gen. Syafrie Syamsuddin said exist? In my IMHO, the answer is yes. You can study how allied countries (USA and friends) media put their coverage news on any war that their country involved. They are not neutral at all, in many cases they took themselves as propagandist agent for their country. (see caption of the picture above)
3. Balance in competition                                                                                    If you are supporters of Manchester United, what would you write whenever your team cheated by the other? This illustration is to show how media can influence by journalists favorite also. There are many competitions in life: sports, presidential election, academic scholarship, etc. Even life itself is competition. If your media funded or have any interest on that competition, you should take one side only when you write. But if not, neutral is better. Try to use much data to support. Like head to head record of the two compete football team.
4. Balance in event coverage                                                                          Sometimes you should go to the special event like product launching party. You have got many things from inviters: free party including meal and drink, goody bag, and -if you are lucky- door prize also. How could you stay neutral? Journalist writes good side of their inviters as many as they can. At least they try not to hurt them. Is it fair enough? I don’t think so. Minimum effort you should do is put yourself as user of their product. Look for comparative data and review their product carefully. Remember, if you can find it’s weakness before consumers do, the producer will thank you a lot.
5. Balance in advertisement                                                                            There is no possibility to keep your balance on advertisement. Because advertiser pays such amount of money to gain the highest impact from their ad: their selling increase. But most of ads are not journalist business, except advertorial writing. If you do so, the one thing you should remember is journalist should give touch to adv. One of the prominent ways is seek competent sources to interview or relevant book to cite.

 So, my conclusion is media have a right to choose also. They can be a partisan media or professional one. If you choose the first, your media policy to take side is depends on many things: nationality, benefit, safety, etc.The measure to choose are varies: nationality, religion, favorite, political consideration, etc. But if you want to be professional, just try hard to be neutral, even in war which your country involved. It’s hard and not easy in practice. But the challenge is what you make a real good journalist, isn’t it? 

¹⁾ David Halberstam (1934-2007), famous Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author when he covered Vietnam War which gave him that prize. He was embedded journalist and take his country’s (USA) side when reporting.Photo source: The New York Times 

²⁾ The Sun, leading tabloid in England (UK) news headline during Falklands/Malvinas war (1982). You can see the using of words “our” show us their side on England. Photo source: wikipedia.com

Sex Doesn’t Sell?

¹

SEX DOESN’T SELL?

by Bhayu M.H. 

This article wrote because I just found old opinion wrote by H.B. Supiyo in Swasembada magazine, dated January 12, 2005. In that opinion, he wrote that “Sex Doesn’t Sell.” I am interesting because last week I just taught about advertising message appeals composing technique at my class. Our syllabus still using 8 techniques by Terrence Shimp:

1. Celebrity
2. Humor
3. Fear Feeling
4. Fault Feeling
5. Sex
6. Music
7. Comparative
8. Rational
9. Emotional
10. Combination

You see above, sex still included. But Supiyo said that sex doesn’t sell. What it’s mean? He cited a CIM’s commercial & academic research said that only 6 % of respondent who said they are influenced positively by sexual image in advertising. He also cited analysis by Andrew McGuinness, Chief Executive TBWA who said, “We went through an era where sex was a means of shocking consumers, and that doesn’t work any longer.” I think Supiyo want to say that actually, in western world, advertising which using sex as selling point never reach the same achievement like former period. This is because public audience bored already with sex. They are achievement person who try to reach their target in life as high as they can, of course with working. Sex also bored because they are regulation that made prostitution and its supporting business legal. Westerners can access sex legally, securely, and safely without any social judgment. But different situation appeared here, in Indonesia. There are normative value in our culture and religion which still alive in society hardly. One of those values sees sex as taboo. Not everybody have a legal access on that taboo. Only certain people who fulfill several requirements gave “the exclusive pass” to access by society. Prostitution and its supporting business are not legal here. So, we can see here in Indonesia greater part of advertiser using the big three techniques only:

1. Celebrity
2. Sex
3. Comparative

Gladly, sex only lies on number two in my humble opinion. Because, at the top consideration we must see Indonesian influenced culture is patronizing. They put idol as their example for their way of life. Combining with instant mental and desire to be rich & famous, we can see Indonesians like dreaming. So, there are many events especially in television shows that. Since AFI, Indonesian Idol, until Gebyar BCA and boring television drama (we call it “sinetron”). Maybe several parts of society like me and the middle class & intellectual-educated peoples doesn’t care –maybe hate that-, but the greater part of our peoples like that shows. Clients who want to sell their product (including service also) see that phenomenon. So, they maximize the using of media. Just like Baudrillard said, media can manipulate in every sense at once and no on can control this process.² Clients use media to create the image they like. They choose advertising technique that could maximize their profit. And in this way, celebrity fulfills that. They are a good example of the meaning of “success” in life, the “thing” that everybody wants. The celebrity here not only movie player, singer, or another luxurious performer, but also political leader (like parliament member, advocate), athlete (Ade Rai, Chris John), newsmaker (like Mbah Maridjan) and in Indonesian case: comedian. Yes, comedian. We can see many advertising using them as endorser. (You can see Tukul, Timbul, Mandra, etc.)

And because the 3 appeals above are using frequently in advertisement, I am applying reverse proving process. My conclusion is: they using frequently because the advertisement endorsed by them sell much. So, different with Mr. Supiyo’s opinion, I think in Indonesia sex still sells. The reason is our culture which provide paradox situation –in one side put them as a sin and in the other side consume rapidly in one time- love that approach. So, don’t worry. Not like in western world, we would not hear such a warning like Supiyo’s cited from The Economist, October 30, 2004. They say, “Old taboos are disappearing. Bad news for lazy advertisers. Mind you, guys, bad news for lazy advertisers!” Mmm. I suggest us continuing our sleep and keep dreaming. 

¹ Photo caption: A controversial Opium Yves St. Laurent advert featuing Sophie Dahl. The advert was never banned although having received 948 (2nd most) complaints in the United States. Taken from wikipedia.com.
² Poster, Mark ed., 2001. The masses: the implosion of the social in the media. In Jean Baudrillard Selected Writings. Cambridge: Stanford University Press. p. 221.