Cabinet secretary says president not blaming media

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Cabinet secretary says president not blaming media

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam said he believed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono did not intend to blame the press with his recent statement about the media.

He said here on Wednesday that like him the President would only remind the press that messages sent through blackberry messenger (BBM), short message service (SMS) or twitters could be faked or used by false persons.

In view of that he reminded all parties including the media, the Press Council and the Indonesia Broadcasting Commission that while messages from BBM, SMS and Twitter could be used as sources care must be taken to assure that they came from the right person.

"SMS, BBM, Twitter could be used by wrong persons. The proof is that "@dipoalam46" twitter account had been found to be false. That account was not mine but it seemed it was me who had so far twitted there," he said commenting on statements from a number of parties that the press could write news stories based on SMS and BBM messages.

Dipo said it was the right of the media to obtain news from any source anywhere. However, he reminded, the press must also know that their primary obligation is presenting the truth.

"I only wish to remind that BBM, SMS and Twitter messages could be misused or faked," he said adding he reminded that in order to prevent the media from being used by certain parties who wish to manipulate truth like the one that had used him in the @dipoalam46 twitter account.

He said the media need to clarify and check and recheck before using information from SMS, BBM or Twitter as their source.

"I often heard people saying that the press need to always verify things. Have the messages from BBM and SMS been checked that they really came from Nazaruddin. If they are not sure why should then publish them," he said.

Dipo said he had had an experience of being a victim with regard to social media manipulation.

In many occasions Dipo stated that "@dipoalam46" was not his account. He believed it was operated by a man who had ever been in the government or the House of Representatives.

He said the man had used his name, position and picture to speak and comment in the virtual world about everything. Many people had believed that it was him who had talked through the account.

He said because he felt it had hurt him he then protested to the Twitter operator in the US telling them that it had come to a criminal category leading to character assassination.

Dipo said during the spread of SMS threat message from someone claiming to be Nazaruddin (the name of former ruling party treasurer now named suspect in corruption) the @dipoalam 46 account had chatted with the account of Indra Pilliang who claimed he was the first to receive the message.

"I do not know if the "@indrapilliang" account has been faked. What is clear is that I do not know personally the man named Indra Pilliang and I do not have any twitter account. But through twitter as if I have chatted with it," he said telling his experience.

Following his protest the Twitter Operator eradicated the @dipoalam46 account on June 28, 2011, he said.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH

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