The Long Road of the Indonesian Press from the Colonial Period to the Digital Era

On Tuesday (20/2/2024) the peak of National Press Day commemoration will take place. The Indonesian press is timeless.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Jalan Panjang Pers Indonesia dari Masa Penjajahan hingga Era Digital

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Rahmad (53) sells newspapers by roaming around Jatinegara Market, East Jakarta, on Sunday (10/10/2021). According to Rahmad, the number of newspaper buyers has decreased, and his income has drastically decreased. The development of digital media is now a challenge for conventional media such as newspapers, tabloids, and magazines.

The pinnacle of the National Press Day celebration will be held in Jakarta on Tuesday (20/2/2024) afternoon. It is planned that President Joko Widodo will attend and announce the Presidential Regulation on Publisher Rights, a regulation that regulates cooperation between media publishers and digital platforms.

The Presidential Regulation (Perpres) on Publisher Rights is just one of many ways that the national press in Indonesia can withstand the challenges of the times. The press in Indonesia has come a long way from the Dutch colonial era to its contribution to the struggle for independence. Starting with just advertising content, newspapers in Indonesia evolved into a means of national movement in the fight to win and defend independence.

Reporting from the website of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, on August 7 1744 a print media called Bataviasche Nouvelles en Politique Raisonnementes was published, which was shortened to Bataviasche Nouvelles. This newspaper was only published for a year.

Previously, in 1615, the first Governor General of the VOC, Jan Piterszoon Coen, had ordered the publication of the Memorie der Nouvelles. This newspaper was not printed, but handwritten and survived until 1644. Furthermore, there was the weekly newspaper Bataviaschecoloniale Courant.

During the British colonial period, the Java Government Gazette was published from 29 February 1812 to 13 August 1814. When the Dutch returned to power, De Bataviasche Courant was published which later changed to Javasche Courant in 1828.

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In Surabaya, East Java, the newspaper Soerabajaasch Advertentieblad was published in July 1835. Meanwhile, in Semarang, Central Java, Semarangsche Advertentieblad, De Semarangsche Courant was published. i>, and Het Semarangsche Niuews en Advertentieblad in the mid-19th century. Het Semarangsche Niuews en Advertentieblad changed its name to de Locomotief in honor of the first railroad opened by the Dutch East Indies government in 1862.

During the colonial era, newspapers mostly contained advertisements and were only printed in around 1,000 to 1,200 copies. They did not have any influence in political matters.

The oldest Javanese language newspaper, namely Bromartani, was published on March 21, 1855 in Surakarta, Central Java, led by a Javanese lover and interpreter at the Surakarta Palace, Carel Frederick Winter Junior. After Carel died in 1859, his friend published the newspaper Djoeroemartani in 1865. This newspaper was renamed Bromartani in memory of Winter.

A number of Malay language newspapers owned by Dutch immigrants at this time were almost all destroyed. However, in 1880 newspapers began to be published managed by Chinese-Malay Peranakans, such as Pemberita Betawi, Bintang Surabaya, and Bintang Betawi. In the early 1900s, Li Po (1901), Chabar Perniagaan (1903), Ik Po (1904), and Sin Pon (1910).

After the Dutch and Chinese published newspapers, Haji Samanhudi together with Raden Mas Djokomono published Medan Prijaji in January 1904. This newspaper, led by Raden Mas Djokomono, known as RM Tirto Adhie Soeryo, became a journalistic milestone. Indonesia.

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At this time, newspapers and magazines have become a venue for expressing national movement ideas. The national press shows the life of the national movement while spreading the idealistic ideas of the founding fathers of the nation. The Indonesian press became opposition to the Dutch government and fought for the freedom of Indonesian society from colonization.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

The newspaper Medan Prijaji is shown at the monologue performance Tirto: Three Exiles, at the Salihara Gallery, South Jakarta, Wednesday (20/12/2023).

After Medan Prijaji, Darmo Kondho, Fikiran Ra'jat, Soeloeh Ra'jat Indonesia< /i>. Several newspapers were published outside Java with the same idea, such as Penghantar (Ambon), Sinar Borneo (Banjarmasin), Persatoean (Kalimantan), Pewarta Deli, Matahari (Medan), and Sinar Sumatra (Padang).

When the Japanese came, only newspapers in big cities were allowed to be published, such as Asia Raya (Jakarta), Sinar Baroe (Semarang), Soeara Asia (Surabaya), Kita Sumatera Shimbun (Medan), and Atjeh Simbun (Kutaradja/Banda Aceh). At this time, Dutch newspapers could not be published. In fact, the journalist was arrested and imprisoned.

Antara News Agency was merged into the Japanese news agency Domei. The Japanese government published newspapers in the interests of the Japanese occupation, one of which was the magazine Djawa Baroe which contained Japanese propaganda.

During the Japanese colonial period, the newspaper Tjahaya was published in Bandung, led by S Bratanata. This newspaper published the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia on August 18, 1945.

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After Indonesia became independent, Japan published the newspaper Gunseikanbu News which attempted to obstruct the Indonesian government. Kenkoku Gakuin or Pangreh Praja school students published the newspaper Berita Indonesia to compete with the Japanese newspaper.

KOMPAS/AUFRIDA WISMI WARASTRI

Newspapers during the struggle always spoke about independence.

The first newspaper published after Indonesia's independence was Berita Indonesia. This newspaper has been published regularly since September 6 1945. After that, the Tentera magazine appeared and followed by the Merdeka newspaper led by BM Diah. The Indonesian government also published Baroe Country and Soeara Oemoem.

In early December 1945, the semi-monthly magazine Pantja Raya was published. Furthermore, there are other magazines and newspapers, such as Pembangoenan, Siasat, Pedoman, and Mimbar Indonesia. Apart from Jakarta, the newspapers Menara Merdeka (Ternate), Soeara Indonesia, Pedoman (Makassar), Soeara Merdeka (Bandung), Soeara Rakjat (Surabaya), and People's Sovereignty, National (Yogyakarta).

Apart from that, there are Soeloeh Rakyat (Semarang), Deli Pewarta, Suluh Merdeka, Public Forum (North Sumatra) , New Sumatra (Palembang), Pedoman Kita, Democracy, Oetosan Soematera (Padang), and Spirit of Independence(Aceh). Antara News Agency also played a role in supporting Indonesia's struggle for independence.

The struggle of journalists to uphold Indonesian independence was evident when the Japanese government refused to release Indonesia and the Dutch rode on the shoulders of allies to regain power. The Indonesian press stood behind the republicans and continued to voice the call for Indonesian independence, hence the name republican press.

To compete with the writings in republican newspapers, the Dutch created rival newspapers, namely De Courant (Bandung), De Locomotief (Semarang), and Java Bode ( Jakarta).

When the capital of the Republic of Indonesia moved to Yogyakarta, journalists gathered at the Sociteit or Sasono Suko Solo building (now the National Press Monument) on February 9, 1946. They established the Indonesian Journalist Association (PWI). PWI is the first professional organization of journalists after the independence proclamation of Indonesia with RM Sumanang Suryowinoto as the chairman. On June 8, 1946, the Newspaper Company Union (SPS) was established in Yogyakarta.

Challenge

After independence, the Indonesian press faced various challenges as a conveyer of information, education, entertainment, and social control. The latest challenge is the development of technology and changes in society in the digital era, which has made the press once again embark on a difficult path to fulfill its function.

Last year, April 17 2023 to be precise, Koran Sindo announced that it would stop publishing the print version and the e-paper version until a later date to be determined. In its statement letter, Koran Sindo, which is under the management of PT Media Nusantara Indonesia, highlighted the increasing challenges in the media business as the reason for this decision.

Koran Sindo was only one of dozens of print media that closed after the Reformation. Before Koran Sindo, dozens of print media closed in the last five years. The daily Republika,Mombi magazine, Nova tabloid, and Bobo Junior magazine will close in 2022. Suaraupdate closed one year earlier. Meanwhile, Koran Tempo also ended its print edition in 2020 and switched to digital platforms in 2021.

During the Old and New Order era, the challenge for the press was pressure from regimes related to the political situation. Various regulations strengthened the pressure, from Presidential Decree (Penpres) No. 4 of 1963 concerning Security Against Printed Matter whose Contents can Disrupt Public Order, to Minister of Information Regulation No. 1/1984 which regulates business permits for news organizations. Please note that the forbidden words PBB, PKS, and PPP are not present in this article.

The suppression of press freedom through media bans occurred several times in the New Order era. On the evening of January 20 1978, the daily Kompas received a publication ban notice. Apart from Kompas, at that time there were six other media which were banned from publication, namely the newspapers Sinar Harapan, Pelita, Merdeka , Indonesia Times, Sinar Pagi, and Tempo magazine. They were banned from publication starting January 21, 1978.

Also read: The Press Industry Must Transform

In the post-period, the press faced a new challenge of digital penetration. The analysis result of European Journalism Centre (EJC) on the development of media ecosystem in Indonesia shows that press companies, particularly print media, have come under tremendous pressure due to the increase in production costs as the number of readers decreases.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

A stack of various newspapers published in Jakarta, Wednesday (5/22/2019). Despite the onslaught of social media, mainstream media remains a reference for information among citizens.

Digital platforms have dominated the advertising market, monopolized content distribution, without strong regulations to protect national media. Google and Facebook control 75-80 percent of the total national digital advertising spending.

The national media, which numbers more than 1,000 companies, only gets the rest. Apart from that, readership or the level of readability and media circulation continues to decline. Because, the penetration of the digital world has also created changes in society in consuming news.

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To overcome this challenge and create a healthy and sustainable Indonesian press ecosystem, press members submitted a proposal for publisher rights regulations four years ago. This regulation regulates cooperation between media publishers and digital platforms.

This regulation also stipulates the responsibility of media platforms (such as Google and Facebook) to contribute to quality journalism.

President Joko Widodo is planned to announce the publisher rights regulations in commemoration of National Press Day 2024, Tuesday (20/2/2024). Minister of Communication and Information, Budi Arie Setiadi, said that the presidential decree has the main aim of ensuring that cooperation between press companies and digital platforms can be realized and provide optimal benefits.

The government, said Budi, is also trying to mitigate the impact of implementing publisher rights. The government anticipates that platform companies will no longer distribute media-produced content (Kompas.id, 9/2/2024).