A word of gratitude

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.