;JP;SBS;
\nANPAk..r..
\nEditorial-Post-Anniversary
\nOur 20th anniversary
\nJP\/6\/6EDIT-25<\/p>\n
Our 20th anniversary<\/p>\n
This day 20 years ago, the first edition of The Jakarta Post
\nrolled off the press and into the light of day. In the history of
\nthe newspaper publishing business, a mere 20 years' existence is
\nnot considered a particularly important milestone. Even by
\nIndonesian newspaper standards, surviving 20 years is no
\nspectacular event. The Waspada newspaper, for example, published
\nin Medan, was established in 1947, although it was closed down
\nseveral times by the Dutch administration, which controlled the
\ncity in the late 1940s. Further, other English-language
\nnewspapers have existed in this country, such as The Indonesian
\nObserver (1954) and The Indonesia Times (1974).<\/p>\n
What makes the emergence of The Jakarta Post in 1983 such a
\nunique event was that four publishing partners managed to agree
\nto jointly bring out an English-language newspaper. Three aspects
\nof this collaboration deserve particular notice. First, the four
\npartners all had different backgrounds, and it is no secret that
\nin the media publishing world, competitiveness and excessive
\npride are prominent. Nevertheless, the four agreed to start a
\njoint enterprise, although its commercial justification was still
\ndoubtful.<\/p>\n
Second, the plan to publish an English-language newspaper in a
\nnon-English speaking country such as Indonesia must have a clear
\nfocus -- all the more so since, at that time, two English-
\nlanguage newspapers were already in circulation.<\/p>\n
Third, the fact that the Post had its roots in the Indonesian
\nmedia publishing world, it was gradually able to express the
\nideas and aspirations that prevailed in the Indonesian community.
\nThis final aspect eventually grew to become the raison d'etre of
\nThe Jakarta Post, although it was not clearly defined as such by
\nthe four partners.<\/p>\n
It was no less interesting, during the final phase of
\npresident Soeharto's regime before his abrupt resignation in mid-
\n1998, however, that the Post's readership consisted of more
\nIndonesians than expatriates. Of course, the Post did not report
\nthis internal survey finding to the government, which continued
\nto assume that the newspaper was read mainly by expatriates.<\/p>\n
It was this assumption, which offered some room to breathe,
\nthat the Post sought to capitalize on, and thereby encouraged our
\ncolleagues in the Indonesian media to exercise a more critical
\nstance toward a regime that was already suffering from advanced
\npolitical decay.<\/p>\n
Perhaps we had all along entertained the idea of becoming an
\neditors' newspaper that, although small in terms of circulation,
\ncould take on a role as an agenda-setting publication. Scanning
\nthrough our editions of May 1998, for example, and going over the
\nheadlines, editorials and opinion pieces of that period, one
\nmight be surprised that the Post had escaped being attacked by
\nthe thugs of the Soeharto family.<\/p>\n
By no means we are indulging on an ego trip here, in
\nelucidating the distinct role that our newspaper played in the
\nperiod immediately preceding president Soeharto's sudden
\nresignation. Rather, the opposite is true: We are merely
\nemphasizing the ironic situation that existed after the reform
\nmovement had blossomed and press freedom was unilaterally
\nproclaimed by president B.J. Habibie's interim government.<\/p>\n
Like so many other decisions that president Habibie made to
\nshow that he was "Mister Democracy" and thereby ensuring his
\nelection by a reformed constituent assembly, his decision to
\nannul the repressive regulations on press publications was never
\nfollowed up by supporting guidelines. The new free flow of
\ninformation -- although official sources were still not that
\naccessible and only a few public criticisms could be aired
\nwithout censorship -- raised an existential problem for The
\nJakarta Post: What should our role be in this post-Soeharto era?<\/p>\n
Our task became more complex, requiring a thorough analysis of
\nthe seemingly chaotic situation in which Indonesia was finding
\nitself. To select and prominently display the main issues
\nregarding political developments, economic recovery, judicial
\nreform, social harmony among ethnic groups and adherents of
\ndifferent religions and the power shifts in global politics, has
\nbecome the main editorial agenda of this newspaper.<\/p>\n
We never hesitated to criticize the regimes that came after
\nthe demise of president Soeharto's administration, although they
\nclaimed to be the champions of reformasi. Our main purpose
\nremains, together with our colleagues in the Indonesian media,
\nalthough in a small and modest manner, to push this country
\nforward in order to reduce the suffering of so many of our fellow
\ncountrymen.<\/p>\n
In celebrating our 20th anniversary, we are filled with a
\nsense of gratitude in remembering our colleagues, past and
\npresent, who have helped us in building this newspaper. We are
\nalso grateful to various news sources who, when times were
\ndifficult, took the risk to provide us with information -- in
\norder that our readers might be made aware of current events and
\ndevelopments. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all
\nour contributing writers who, in spite of their professional
\ncommitments, have always been ready to impart their thoughts and
\ntheir views on our editorial pages.<\/p>\n
Our thanks also go to the numerous advertisers, either
\nindividuals or corporations, without whose patronage this
\nnewspaper could not have survived.<\/p>\n
And last but not least, The Jakarta Post thanks our readership
\nfor your trust and loyalty.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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