Perkosaan Dalam Wacana Pers Nasional

23 Juli 2012 - 11:14:00 | admin

The main problem in this research is to observe how press in reporting criminal acts of rape. Assumption serving as a basis for this research is the criminal acts of rape are not proportionally reported by press and it tends to look at rape merely as criminal acts so that there is no attempt to give gender perspective in its politic of reports.

This research uses content analysis method. The object of its study is news of rape issued on daily newspapers of Kedaulatan Rakyat and Suara Merdeka along a period of 21 months. Analysis unit which is encoded consists of two aspects. The first is informational substance, including modus operandi, locus, and effect of criminal acts. The second is journalism technical aspect, including ways of covering and reporting, and language used in the news of rape as well.

The fundamentally substantive findings are as follow. Firstly, age factor is not determinant one for victims or criminals. Secondly, the criminal acts, in fact, often occur among people knowing each ather, and even among blood relatives. Thirdly, the victims' positions either physically or socially are mostly lower than the criminals'. Fourthly, most of rape actions are merely aimed to fulfill sexual desire, so that the modus operandi of rapes is deceit and seduction. But, there are some with modus operandi of physical force and threat, followed by torture, pillage, roberry, and even murder. Fifthly, rapes can take place anywhere, anytime and in any occassion.

Some basic findings from journalism aspect are as follow. Firstly, news of rape is so important in position that it is always laid on the first page, although it never becomes the headline. Secondly, what is mostly shown off in news lead is the rapists and their actions. Thirdly, in the reconstruction of rape facts, interview method is the most frequently used, while methods of observation and documentation are rarely used. Fourthly, news sources commonly quoted by reporters are those from police stations and court (result of judgement). Fifthly, the revealed facts are mostly specific cases, and can not be considered as phenomena. Sixthly, news format frequently chosen is straight news; few feature can be found and depth news can never be. The last is that the language chosen (diction) tends to be alien to the real facts of rape.