A word of gratitude

Today The Jakarta Post celebrates its 14th anniversary. Looking back on the past 14 years, we cannot help but be touched by a deep sense of gratitude and pride that we have reached this point. There were often times where we had to go through precarious and depressing moments -- times which seemed to us like tests imposed on us by providence.

For many years we have lived dangerously, fully aware that we may have to face more turbulent times. Without the public's trust we may never have reached this point. Without the public's support -- the support of our readers and advertisers in particular -- we may not have been able to get through those years of struggle.

It speaks for the wisdom and foresight of the Post's founders that, from the very beginning, this newspaper has strictly held on to the dictum that, to gain the public's trust, a newspaper has to prove its credibility and command the respect of the public. One cannot earn that respect without possessing integrity. To maintain that integrity, we have to constantly adhere to our professional code of ethics. More importantly, we have to maintain our independent stance and be impartial and nonpartisan in our reporting.

Given all this, we can say with confidence that in the years ahead we will continue to strive to uphold those principles. We know that we still have many shortcomings to overcome, but we are resolved to keep on trying to improve the quality of our newspaper. In years past, there were times when our independent stance was questioned, and earned us a scolding by certain parties. It seems that those who prefer to adopt a black-and- white pattern of thinking find it hard to recognize that, in reality, a newspaper has to be impartial in order to maintain its integrity.

Stating this, however, does not mean that the Post does not take sides. We have a firm commitment to maintain the unity of this country and nation, and to strive for the betterment of our society.

For the past 30 years we have -- thanks to our national development program -- witnessed the expanding dynamics of our society. Needless to say, we remain strongly committed to nurturing the growth of a healthy and responsible democracy in this country and toward the empowerment of the people. All this, as we see it, is part of our civic duty to educate and enlighten the people.

Empowering and enlightening the people is not only associated with the creation of a conducive atmosphere in which people can manifest themselves. It also means helping people know what their constitutional rights and duties are, and to instill a greater awareness in the relevant aspects of our cultural, social, political and economic life. This obviously requires that we inform them of not only the bare, observable facts, but also of the hows and whys behind them. We think it natural that, in this increasingly complex world, a newspaper should also play a role as a voice of reason to help the public distinguish between what is ethically right and wrong; between what is good and bad, and what is esthetically in good taste and what is not.

One might say that in this world of free market enterprise, where profit is the prime objective, too much idealism is obsolete or old-fashioned. But we believe that not compromising one's integrity will never become obsolete or old-fashioned. Indeed, in this present zaman edan (mad world) in which we live, it is even more important for people to maintain their sensibility.

Again, it gives us reason for deep gratitude to observe that we have the public's support in this endeavor. The Post's growing circulation is evidence enough. From a mere 5,474 copies in May 1983, we reached an audited paid circulation of 44,049 in December last year. Yesterday's paid circulation reached 49,939 and we are passing the 50,000 mark today. Again, without the public's trust -- your trust -- we would not have been able to come even close to this achievement.

Still, there is no reason for us to be complacent. We are still far from our goal. There are still many shortcomings to be remedied. Many ravines and mountains still have to be crossed. And as we step into the 15th year of our existence and as we stroll toward the new millennium, we realize that in the media business courage alone is not enough. One needs wisdom as well, particularly -- in our case -- the wisdom to recognize and accept that we live in a pluralistic society, that democratization is a must, and that getting there past all the obstacles is a grueling process.

With your continued support, we are confident that we will get there. Above all, we will always need your trust. Trust means responsibility, and it is our responsibility to deliver what our trusting readers expect from us: to provide them with information which they have the right to receive, in a responsible, impartial and balanced way.