The Difference Between Media Bans Then and Now

Tempo Media Group’s CEO, Arif Zulkifli, known as Azul, believes the pressure on mass media today is not much different from the New Order era. The only difference is the method, but the goal remains the same: to restrict press freedom. According to him, if pressure during the New Order era was applied openly through banning or revoking publishing permits, today it takes more covert forms, such as digital attacks and doxing against journalists and media outlets. “Like doxing against journalists and media. To this day we are still fighting against it,” Azul said during the ‘Ngopi Media Talks: Banned, Then and Now’ discussion at the Tempo Studio in South Jakarta on Monday, 22 June 2026. The former Tempo Editor-in-Chief from 2013 to 2019 also highlighted pressure exerted through media owners. He said this kind of pressure has the potential to disrupt the independence of the newsroom. “Independence can be affected by various threats, for example, if other businesses are disrupted,” he said. Current Tempo Editor-in-Chief Setri Yasra added that modern-day banning often manifests in digital attacks whose perpetrators are difficult to trace. He cited Tempo’s experience of reporting attacks on its website to the police several times, but to date, no perpetrator has been identified. “Digital attacks on Tempo occur almost every day. In fact, three hours ago our site was hit by a DDoS attack,” Setri said. According to him, the intensity of the attacks has increased over the past five years. He believes there is a systematic effort to instil fear in the newsroom. Besides digital attacks, pressure also comes through legal channels. Setri mentioned that Tempo was once sued in court by a party that did not accept the Press Council’s decision regarding a news dispute. However, the lawsuit was ultimately rejected by the court. Despite this, Setri stressed that the Tempo editorial team will not be intimidated. He affirmed that journalistic work remains grounded in verification and facts on the ground, regardless of who is involved. “Whoever it is, whether the president, politicians, or other parties, we will report on them based on facts,” he said. He also emphasised that Tempo’s reporting does not side with any particular interest. “We work professionally and without bias,” Setri said. The ‘Media Talks: Banned, Then and Now’ discussion was held to commemorate the resistance against the banning of Tempo Magazine, Editor, and Detik by the government on 21 June 1994. Besides Azul and Setri, the event also featured former Tempo Editor-in-Chief Bambang Harymurti, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid, SAFEnet Executive Director Nenden Sekar Arum, and Cania Citta, Co-founder of the Malaka Project.