Tea Time Musings #5: Ethical vs. unethical publishing

Dear readers,

Ever came across culturally insensitive publications? Wonder what happened to its publishers?

In the case of Indonesian newspaper, Koran Tempo, the article, “Indonesian weekly apologizes over Last Supper Suharto cover” by ABC News (2008), reported that the Indonesian public was outraged by the publication’s sketch, depicting Suharto and his children in a position mirroring Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (see Figure 1). In response, Koran Tempo issued an apology, noting that there was no intention to hurt Christians (ABC News 2008).

Figure 1

Source: Indonesia Matters 2008

Was it ethical?

To uncover whether Koran Tempo breached publication ethics, a few measures must be considered:

Cultural context

Both Schirato and Yell (1996) and Halliday and Hasan (1985) suggest three dimensions in which texts must be interpreted, namely, field, tenor and mode.

Halliday and Hasan (1985) define each dimension:

Field: the topic in which participants are drawn to. For Koran Tempo, the topic concerned Suharto’s legacy, serving as a memorial piece after his death.

Tenor: the nature of the participants involved, or the target audience. For Koran Tempo, the target audience was the Indonesian public, consisting of readers of various faiths including Christianity.

Mode: the way in which the subject is communicated. For Koran Tempo, the communication approach was cynical, comparing Suharto, a president fueled with corruption, to religious figure, Jesus Christ.

As such, it was the mode in which the subject was communicated, failing to take into account steadfast Christians who may be enraged by the inappropriate comparison of both figures.

Meta issues or “behind the text” issues

Publishing regulations were ignored by editors, neglecting the various laws stipulated by authorities. In Indonesia, journalists are bound by 37 articles that can be used to initiate their imprisonment as of 2006 (Indonesia Matters 2006). Therefore, Koran Tempo editors must ensure the compliance of each article before publication.

Situational context

Schriver (1997) advocates the importance of surrounding factors that may determine how readers approach the text. For instance, in the light of Suharto’s recent death at the time, readers were drenched in an atmosphere of mourning. Thus, publications suggesting cynical undertones are considered insensitive.

Additionally, International Federation of Journalists (2004) purports that “…Koran Tempo have been the target of numerous civil and criminal lawsuits since early 2003.” With that said, readers may have formed a negative pre-conceived notion against Koran Tempo, making it an easy target for accusations.

In conclusion, various factors, as highlighted above, must be evaluated before determining whether a publication is ethical or unethical. In this case, the verdict is adamant: Koran Tempo’s publication was unethical.

References

ABC News 2008, Indonesian weekly apologizes over Last Supper Suharto cover, viewed 16 June 2009, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/06/2156269.htm>.

Halliday, M & Ruqaiya, H 1985, Language, context and text: aspects of language in a social-semiotic perspective, Deakin University Press, Waurn Ponds, Victoria.

Indonesia Matters 2006, Worldwide Press Freedom Index, viewed 16 June 2009, <http://www.indonesiamatters.com/1037/worldwide-press-freedom-index/>.

International Federation of Journalists, Warning bells ringing over Indonesia defamation case, says IFJ, viewed 16 June 2009, <http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/warning-bells-ringing-over-indonesia-defamation-case-says-ifj>.

Schirato, T & Yell, S 1996, Communication and cultural literacy: an introduction, St. Leonards, N.S.W.

Schriver, KA 1997, Dynamics in document design: creating text for readers, Wiley Computer Publisher, New York.