40 years on, 'Kompas' sharper than ever

40 years on, 'Kompas' sharper than ever

Readers of the nation's largest newspaper, Kompas,
were introduced on June 28 to its new format. The daily's chief
editor, Suryopratomo, spoke with The Jakarta Post's Ridwan Max
Sijabat on the modernization of the 40-year-old newspaper.

Question: Why did you alter the size and design of Kompas?

Answer: Well, first of all, we decided to change the daily's
format after many years of preliminary discussions and
preparations. It's the third major change in the daily's design.
Prior to that, the second major change was in 1996, when we
invited media designer Roger Black to redesign the format. But,
the daily's size was maintained.

In observing the daily's 40th anniversary, all stakeholders
along with Pak Jakob Oetama -- in his capacity as co-founding
father -- decided to publish the daily in a new format. All the
necessary preparations, including the establishment of an
internal design team and the hiring of a professional media
designer, were made one year before.

The 40th anniversary this year was seen as a good opportunity,
but not only to make (physical) changes. The vision and values of
the newspaper have also undergone a comprehensive transformation.
This transformation is reflected in the daily's new look, content
and ads placement.

We needed a comprehensive overhaul to accommodate our fast-
growing young readership and to make the daily more competitive
amid fierce competition.

Do you follow global trends in the media industry for the sake
of efficiency

Yes, the new size and look is in line with global trends. We
have realized that amid the digital and post-modern era, people
spend only a short time reading newspapers as their daily routine
is often rigid.

The face-lift is comprehensive as we have changed not only the
daily's design and size but added pages for certain domestic,
human and international issues, which, so far, have been our
strength in running the newspaper.

In line with demands brought on by global trends, we are
committed to maintaining our credibility and sharpening the
values we have adopted. Therefore, we are committed to running
accurate and concise stories, to maintain the credibility we have
developed for 40 years among our readership.

Our reasons for modernizing the design were not just about
efficiency. The process was carried out in healthy financial
conditions and the production costs were virtually the same,
before and after the face-lift. Despite the change in size,
production costs have remained high because all pages are fully
colored.

Would you like to go into details on the new look?

Mario Garcia helped redesign not only Kompas, which appears in
Jakarta, but also its special local editions/sections in certain
regions across the country.

With the redesign, we are making a transformation. We want to
give the public a good impression that the changes are made not
amid a crisis but amid a healthy financial condition, with the
strong will to give our readers a better product.

It is better to undergo transformation pre-crisis as when the
crisis eventually comes it will be too late to make changes.

With the transformation, we have not only made changes to the
daily's format but require all staff, especially journalists, to
make adjustments. Journalists need to be able to place themselves
amid the changes, and improve their competence in line with the
demands of the new Kompas.

Journalist must improve their competence in news-gathering and
writing. They are required to think and write simultaneously --
it is what is called visual thinking.

Our journalists are required to write concisely and
accurately. Redundancies must be avoided and professionalism is
maintained. But they need time to make the adjustment.

Kompas also came up with an editorial policy to give bylines
to well-prepared stories, either hard-news stories, analysis or
features, which usually appear on the front page. The giving of
bylines is also an incentive for journalists.

How about the number of pages?

Kompas is now between 48 pages and 64 pages. Previously, it
was less than 44 pages. The number of pages is more than
previously as the number of certain section's pages is 16 from
the previous 12. The pages have been increased to accommodate the
increasing number of problems emerging in all fields.

Is the new format final?

Yes, but the process is still underway. We have a stylebook
for all pages and sections and all sides in the editorial room
are required to comply with it. But our team and Mario's team are
still working to supervise the process until it is found to be
complete.

In September, Garcia will return to Jakarta to make sure that
the process has been smooth and in line with the planning. We are
satisfied with Garcia who has closely supervised and accompanied
the team in the design process.

How would you rate the public response to the daily's new
format?

More than 90 percent of our readers, contributors and
advertisers gave it the thumbs-up when the daily appeared on June
28.

During the one-year preparation, the management and the
daily's research center held an intensive discussion group with
our readership, columnists, experts and advertisers who fully
supported the new format.

How many copies do you print at present?

Between 480,000 and 500,000. But over the last few months, the
Saturday edition has increased to up to 660,000, far higher than
Kompas Minggu (Sunday edition).

The significant increase in copies of the Saturday edition has
a lot to do with the fact that Saturday is an off-day for most
workers and the edition provides more room for special and
interesting issues.

Do you have a target for increasing your readership?

A: Speaking frankly, we are obsessed with printing one million
copies sometime in the future.