PostScript, March-April, 11, Television, Politics, Dewi Television and Disaster Risk Reduction Aryati Dewi Hadin, PR and

Communications, The Habibie Center

Lying between tectonic plates (Eurasian, Indo-Australian and Pacific) and ringed by a chain of volcanoes, Indonesia is prone to natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. The global climate change and regional climatic conditions also influence drought, flood (the La Nina and El Nino effects), fire, landslide, tropical cyclone and hurricane. The impact of natural disaster in Indonesia is a serious matter. The National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) has recorded the damage and losses from 1815 to 2011 as follows: (The Distribution of Disasters and Death Toll by Type of Disaster between 1815-2011)

source: www.bnpb.go.id Aside from the frequency of the disasters, the losses and damage are counter-productive to sustainable development. As reported in Indonesia: Preliminary Damage and Loss Assessment published by the Agency for National Development Planning (Bappenas), the total impact of the earthquake-triggered tsunami in Aceh and its adjacent areas in December 2004 had an estimated monetary value of Rp41.4 trillion. This sum included both the value of the damage to assets (Rp27.2 trillion or 63% of the total impact) and the estimated losses in future financial flows to the economy (Rp14.2 trillion or 37% of the total) over four years. The first component the damage provided both an idea of the destruction of the

assets in the country as well as a baseline for defining the program of reconstruction. The amount of losses would directly impinge on the future economic performance of the country and the affected areas1. The recent flood that covered 12 villages in Belu, Flores, will cost more than Rp22 billion for the damaged infrastructures, houses, fields and cattle losses.2 The Lack of Awareness and Understanding The damage and losses were mainly affected by the lack of awareness and lack of understanding about natural disasters. Over 90% of the watersheds near the Benenain River were mismanaged and caused the flooding in Belu, Flores3. People who live in coastal areas in general have very little understanding of the natural symptoms that are shown before a tsunami comes. Rizal Seurapong, an Aceh citizen did not think about a tsunami as he watched the sea recede from Lambaro Beach, Aceh Besar, outside the city of Banda Aceh. He tried to flee but the wave caught up with him4. Dozens died, many people were injured and others were trapped inside buildings or ran out in panic when the earthquake struck Padang in 20095. Some people still relied on local ancient mystical beliefs when the government raised the alert status of Mount Merapi to the highest possible level (level 4, on a scale of 1-4) in 2010. They ignored the officials warnings to evacuate and died from the hot ash6. These indicate that the level of public awareness and understanding toward natural disasters in Indonesia is still low. Building Disaster Resilience through TV Melvin DeFleur in cultural norms theory argued that the mass media selectively presents and emphasizes certain ideas and values. According to this theory, the mass media influences norms by reinforcing or changing them. For example, a television program presenting an urban lifestyle for people who live in the suburbs can change the attitudes of viewers in that direction. By regularly presenting necessary information about disaster, not only could the mass media transfer knowledge about what causes a disaster but it also could teach them what to do to minimize risk. In a nutshell, mass media could guide people to be proactive rather than being reactive towards disasters and reshape their mindset about living in disaster-prone areas.

1
2

Indonesia: Preliminary Damage and Loss Assessment page 21. Bappenas: 2004 http://www.floresnews.com/fn1/index.php?view=article&catid=130%3Anasional&id=3043%3Akerugian-akibat-bencana-belucapai-rp-22-miliar&tmpl=component&print=1&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=404 3 http://www.floresnews.com/fn1/index.php?view=article&catid=130%3Anasional&id=3043%3Akerugian-akibat-bencana-belucapai-rp-22-miliar&tmpl=component&print=1&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=404 4 Surviving Tsunami Lessons to learn from Aceh and Pangandaran Tsunamis page 7. UNESCO: 2008. 5 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6422945.stm 6 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11625154

The Hyogo Framework for Action that was signed at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in 2005 in Japan mentioned the usage of knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels as one of the five priorities for action. One of the key activities for this action was enhancing public awareness by promoting the engagement of media in order to stimulate a culture of disaster resilience and strong community involvement in sustained public education campaigns and public consultations at all levels of society. With more than 10 national TV networks and more than 100 local TV stations, the mass media in Indonesia has the capacity to contribute in awareness-raising and education. But on the contrary, television only creates opinions and evokes audiences anxieties rather than helping them to get the information they need. Tears and fears were exposed on TV soon after the earthquake and tsunami hit Aceh and North Sumatra provinces 2004. Being dramatized with graphics and mournful music, we saw stories about families who lost their members, Aceh students in Jakarta crying for their family and a wide -angle screen presenting devastation. When Merapi erupted in 2010, the media were busy exposing the story of Mbah Maridjan, the so-called spiritual guardian of Merapi. Moreover, a reporter asked one of the disaster victims, How do you feel after losing your house? So far, disaster reporting by the media is still conveyed by the infotainment approach, focusing on the event itself and not on its causes or solutions, such as disaster risk reduction or strengthening disaster preparedness. However, as the responsible party in Disaster Management, the government could take immediate action by coordinating with the Ministry of Informatics and Communication and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) to foster the participation of the mass media. In order to implement the National Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction (NAP-DRR), an action such as dialogue with the mass media companies could be the first necessary step. From the medias point of view, the commercial background could be the reason for presenting sensational reporting. This need could be solved by finding innovative ways to make disaster risk reduction a catchy and newsworthy issue. It could be a regular program like a TV series, advertorial, or public service advertisement. Another action could be by giving media a guide for journalists in reporting natural disasters. This would help the media to bridge the gap between technical information and information disseminated to the public, and to present a better balance between the reporting of disaster stories and prevention stories. Further actions could be perpetuated by revamping the regulations on broadcasting. So far, the Broadcasting Code of Conduct (Pedoman Perilaku Penyiaran) in Chapter XXIV article 34 and the

Broadcast Program Standard (Standar Program Siaran) Chapter XXIII article 55 about Disaster Reporting forbids any reporting that increases the suffering and trauma of the victims and/or their families. It is also stated that the reporting shall respect the victims privacy. Meanwhile, if we look at the Broadcast Program Standard Chapter VI about the Protection of the Public Interest, article 10, section 1, it is stated that a broadcast program shall have regard for and protect the public interest. The government could use this article to foster the participation of the mass media in the disaster risk reduction effort. Living in a country rich in natural sources yet with many disaster-prone areas, the issue of disaster risk management is not just an individuals task. Building a disaster-resilient nation is a task for everybody. ***