President asks press to exercise self-censorship

"I really want self-censorship to be practiced. I put hope in the press council, senior journalists and chairmen of journalist organizations to boost the principle by giving priorities to information which is newsworthy," the President said when speaking at the commemoration of the National Press Day and the 62nd Anniversary of the Indonesian Journalist Association (PWI) here on Saturday.
He said that in the press day commemorations he had repeatedly suggested the press self-censorship since he had become the President in 2004. The matter should be considered by the media because the press control was over and it should never occurred again, he said.
However, the media should be able to select itself which story is newsworthy and which one is not.
President Yudhoyono also asked the press to carry out a reflection on how far they have contributed to the development of democracy in Indonesia and to the national character building.
He also reminded the media not to highlight news on violence too often. The President asked ...