The Function of the Press Council in Supporting Legal Protection for Journalists to Actualise the Press Freedom

The Press Law established in 1999 as one of the main agenda for reform is a step forward in the effort to actualize press freedom, which is one of the important pillars in a democratic country. The Press Law introduces several things that are intended to strengthen press freedom as well as the quality of journalistic works. Among them are the participation of the community in supervising the press and the functions of the Press Council to receive complaints from the community and to establish and enforce the journalistic code of ethics with the press organization. However, until now the efforts to continue criminalization against journalists in Indonesia. Law enforcers still do not have a unified view that is in accordance with the spirit of democracy to realize press freedom in Indonesia. This was mainly driven by the practice of state legislation that sets out other laws, such as the ITE Law and the Pornography Law after the Press Law which contains provisions that open multiple interpretations of the provisions of the Press Law. The role of the Press Council in legal protection for journalists has also not been seen and it is as if it has become a new institution that repressed journalists.