‘Kompas’, Great Indonesia and Humanity's Transcendence

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

Readers access the Kompas.id page, which is one of the paid news portals in Indonesia, Wednesday (7/8/2019).

Kompas Daily, born on June 28, 1965, the public who have become their living space and the regime they face from year to year, are clearly different then and now. During the New Order era with its fascist-military system, Kompas had to live with two imperatives. The first, politically, was to be on alert against the threat of regime power which could revoke the publication permit at any time; and secondly, it was economically managed to develop relations with the public, which is the source of its life. Gratitude is endless. Even though it once stumbled due to the banning of the New Order (Orba) power, Kompas has since been able to grow as a large media corporation.

In the post-New Order era today, the issuance of permits as a scourge that haunted the press media has disappeared. So, Kompas can fully concentrate on maintaining sociological relations with the public as a support for its existence.

However, no matter how technical and economic success is achieved, the problem faced remains classic, namely the quality of journalism products.

In the context of advances in digital technology and changes in lifestyle and communication, Kompas management has responded appropriately to disruption. However, no matter how technical and economic success is achieved, the problem faced remains classic, namely the quality of journalism products.

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To maintain the reputation of Kompas as a social institution, since the beginning of the reformation in 2000, the management has formed an ombudsman institution that functions internally for the editorial work. The Ombudsman basically goes hand-in-hand with loyal audiences so that Kompas does not betray the public. The public's loyalty to the press institution is due to the perception of the credibility of Kompas which has been formed from years of reporting.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

The sighting of the Thursday edition of Kompas (10/2/2022).

Each press-media organization builds credibility through a process of institutionalization with autonomy and independence in journalism operations to achieve factual truth and objectivity, within the framework of rules that apply universally: namely accurate, balanced and fair. However, this standard is not sufficient to form an institution that has a distinctive personality in the competitive media sphere.

Self testing

The formation of loyalty comes from the conformity of the personality of Kompas with the audience's expectations. Therefore, for the sake of this personality, Kompas needs to examine itself with two key questions. First: what it is there for, and second: how to live its life. This is realized by macro and micro approaches.

From here, we are reminded of the statement of one of the founders of Kompas, Jakob Oetama, that Kompas is a Small Indonesia. Therefore, the ties to Greater Indonesia cannot be broken. Its praxis can be studied through a historical approach. This is understandable because Pak Jakob was accompanied by P Swantoro for a long time, raising the daily Kompas. Both of them had historical educational backgrounds, and even started their professional duties at a young age as history teachers. Likewise, one of the founders of Kompas, PK Ojong. Despite his legal background, his writings showed a strong interest in historical events.

The quality of Kompas journalistic information is reflected in the actuality that is placed in a historical perspective.

All three have died. However, their legacy, namely understanding of and an approach to history from the beginning, is very meaningful in Kompas' journalistic work in dealing with and processing actual facts. The quality of Kompas journalistic information is reflected in the actuality that is placed in a historical perspective.

How to imagine Great Indonesia? Indonesian-ness is not formed on the basis of a single ethnicity and religion. Indonesia now and in the future is a country with a pluralistic society consisting of various ethnicities and various religions, each of which has a tradition that forms the basis for multicultural values. State integration can only be maintained with tolerance and respect for differences among ethnicities and religions. This is a basic living space for Kompas. Presumably it needs to be a basis for perspective in dealing with dynamics in public life so that Kompas will be sensitive to any threats to national integration.

The macro approach of Great Indonesia as the context for Kompas' existence is the basis for coverage of political, economic, social and cultural issues. This is manifested in an inward orientation to maintain the integration into Indonesian-ness of a pluralistic and multicultural society, and an outward orientation to the national interest. Inward and outward orientation is presumably a perspective on the truth and objectivity in assessing facts. Moreover, it can also be noted the seriousness of Kompas in processing environmental issues that need to be a shared concern.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

A number of Kompas friends pose for a photo with the Chief Editor of Kompas Daily Sutta Dharmasaputra (second right), Deputy Chief Editor of Kompas Tri Agung Kristanto (right), Kompas Business Director Lukminto Wibowo (third from left) at an event held at the Kompas Editorial Office, Jakarta, Wednesday. (20/4/2021).

The micro-approach, namely toward human life, makes transcendental human values a point of view. Therefore, human values are applied from two sides. The first does not judge by normative standards, and the second sees every human being as having an equal value that transcends the standard of reality. This attitude is manifested in the choice of diction in the narrative description.

This macro and micro perspective needs to be used as the basis for assessing news coverage by various desks and a selection of opinion articles from outside writers by the Kompas editorial board.

This can be seen from the results of the editorial work that has technically processed information that provides factual clarity (the late Pak Jakob's term: the roots of the case) both with conventional journalism and data journalism, and reporting according to the ethical principles of journalism, namely truth-objectivity.

We should be grateful that this media is in the hands of competent journalists. This can be seen from the results of the editorial work that has technically processed information that provides factual clarity (the late Pak Jakob's term: the roots of the case) both with conventional journalism and data journalism, and reporting according to the ethical principles of journalism, namely truth-objectivity.

If there are still technical inaccuracies in the information presented, it seems that it should be seen as a human error, not from the intention of the editorial policy. Obviously it needs to be corrected. However, furthermore, Kompas should be read at an ideal level, namely reporting that brings media audiences to an appreciation of maintaining values of nationality, multiculturalism and tolerance, and concern for the environment, as well as the value of humanity’s transcendence.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Ashadi Siregar

Ashadi Siregar, Kompas Ombudsman

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)