Ubonrat Siriyuvasak 30 July 2013 PEOPLE’S MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION RIGHTS IN INDONESIA AND THE PHILIPPINES Ubonrat Siriyuvasak 30 July 2013 people's media
People’s Media and Communication Rights Some names people’s media alternative media citizens’ media radical media medias libres participatory media community media grassroots media people's media
People’s Media Characteristics small independent non-commercial non-profit Activities media activism radicalism underground alternative media activities people's media
Citizens’ Media Citizens’ media articulates the metamorphic transformation of alternative media participants (community media or alternative media) into active citizens. Citizens’ media is a concept that accounts for the processes of empowerment, conscienti- zation, and fragmentation of power. people's media
Citizens’ Media Men, women, and youth gain access to and re-claim their own media. As they use media to re-constitute their own cultural codes to name the world in their own terms. Citizens’ media participants disrupt power relationships, exercise their own agency, and re-constitute their own lives, futures, and cultures (Rodriguez 2004, 18). people's media
People’s Media To struggle for the right to speak To gain freedom of association, idea and expression To resist and criticize To oppose state terror, injustice and oppression To be heard and understood by the public and by the ‘established power’ people's media
Communication Rights Bill of Rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 national constitution People’s Communication Charter people's media
People’s Communication Charter The People’s Communication Charter called for a shift of the concept of communication and media in which communication contribute to the ‘empowerment’ of people and the improvement of the communication environment people's media
People’s Media Organization Who are they ? Media Democratization Activist The mission (locally and globally) To achieve a more democratic media culture To strive for democratic media structure people's media
Media Democratization Activism (1) influencing content and practices of mainstream media advocating for reform of government policy/regulation of media in order to change the very structure of media institutions people's media
Media Democratization Activism (2) building independent, democratic and participatory media to give voice to the marginalized changing the relationship between audiences and media, chiefly by empowering audiences to be more critical of hegemonic media people's media
Indonesia From political press to commercial press during Soeharto’s ‘new order’ (1966-1998) ‘neutralized’ and ‘depoliticized’ institutionalized into the modernization scheme centralization to Java publishing license, Surat Ijin Usaha Penerbitan Pers (SIUPP) or Press Publication Enterprise Permit people's media
Press resistance in Soeharto’s ‘New Order’ 1994 > journalist union–Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) or the Alliance of Independent Journalist Institut Studi Arus Informasi (ISAI) or the Institute of the Studies of Free Flow of Information people's media
Underground press Independen (Independent) > Suara Independen (Voice of Independence), Xpos (Expose) AJI News (on the internet) Siar (Broadcast) TNI Watch (Army Watch) ‘Apakabar’ (on the internet) people's media
Reformasi and People’s Media 1998 > New press freedom after ‘May Tragedy’ 1998 legal reform New Press Law (1999) New Broadcasting Law (2002) Ministry of Information abolished people's media
Community Radio (1) ‘Angkringan Radio’ and ‘Angkringan Newsletter’ (Yogyakarta) Angkringan means a small food and drink stall, the popular road side café, for the community. It is an open forum where information exchange and communication take place Angkringan : monitor local government Angkringan : new channel of independent and participatory communication for Timbulharjo people's media
Community Radio (2) Radio Cibangkong (Bandung) Mobilizing Cibangkong villagers against corporate encroachment Creating a forum for ‘citizen solidarity’ ‘peace building’ between youth groups people's media
Community Radio (3) Balai Budaya Minomartani or Encounter Radio (Sleman) Cultural forum and community identity empowerment and socio-cultural integration between religious and ethnic groups people's media
Radio News Network Radio News Agency 68H > 68H Radio ‘Independen, Bisa Dipercaya’ or ‘independent and trustworthy’ Networking news to 400 stations in Indonesia people's media
Neighbourhood Internet Network Community-based internet network using wireless internet technology Creating a a broad bottom-up internet infrastructure Creating consciousness on communication right through the process of self-learning technology people's media
The Philippines Nationalist Movement (19th century) The Propaganda Movement ‘La Solidaridad’ Jose Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere El Filibusterismo people's media
Alternative press and popular opposition Ferdinand Marcos and Martial Law (1972) Strict censorship ‘independent press’ transformed into ‘crony press’ people's media
Mosquito Press vs Crony Press (1983 >) Malaya and We Forum (Burgos) Philippine Collegian (UP) Business Day Radio Veritas (Cardinal Sin, Philippine Catholic Church) Mr. & Ms. Special Edition > Weekly Inquirer (Jimenez-Magsanoc) people's media
The EDSA Revolution (1986) Radio Veritas mobilizing the masses against Marcos Channel 4 and 9 were used by Marcos to counter Radio Veritas alternative radio and newspapers keep demonstrators informed and mobilize people to participate in the People Power movement people's media
EDSA 2 (2001) Multi-media People’s Revolt Networking of ‘virtual citizens’ (locally and globally) Texting / SMS (mobile phone) The internet (internet) Mass media (mainstream television, radio) 4-day protests 1-5 millions demonstrators at EDSA & nation wide 1.16 billion text messages across the network people's media
EDSA 1 – EDSA 2 EDSA 1 politician & church organising the public Public organising different groups of people from different social backgrounds and political shades people's media
EDSA 2 & Democratisation of communication network Personal and private communica- tion networks were transformed into citizen networks and eventually connected to the larger public and politically active networks of communication and action such as KOMPIL and BAYAN people's media
Access to Public Information and Investigative Journalism Investigative Reporting use of public record extensive interview in-depth and long-term research people's media
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) – 1989 PCIJ information distribution network http://www.pcij.org ‘i-site’ section i magazine Limited number of mainstream media people's media
PCIJ and EDSA 2 Sheila Coronel, PCIJ Executive Director and 2003 Magsaysay Laureate “by constantly digging for information, by forcing government and the private sector to release documents, and by subjecting officials and other powerful individuals to rigorous questioning, investigative journalists expand the boundaries of what is possible to print or air.” people's media
People’s Media Activism PCIJ’s investigative reports on President’s Estrada unexplained wealth Media report and television live coverage of the impeachment trial Multi-media networking of information and communication bring about citizen empowerment people's media
Democratization of Media Structure (1) People networking, speaking and participating through old and new means of information technologies Communication which is relevant and dialogic and horizontal in nature people's media
Democratization of Media Structure (2) restructuring the political economy of communications infrastructure and cultural environment People being conscientized and empowered as active citizen people's media