Things You Didn't Know About

The Jakarta Post

1. The Post ran the biggest news scoop in Indonesia in its May 21, 1998 edition when it reported that then President Soeharto was set to step down that morning. Soeharto resigned at 9 a.m. just as reported in the newspaper.

2. It was among the first Indonesian media to introduce a “no envelope” policy, barring its staff from accepting any form of payment when on assignment.

3. Two of its first editors-in chief went on to serve as ambassadors for Indonesia. Sabam Siagian (editor 1983-1991) was ambassador to Australia, and Susanto Pudjomartono (editor 1991-2001) is ambassador to Russia.

4. Three of its present owners – Kompas, Tempo and Suara Pembaruan – publish Indonesian-language newspapers/magazines, and are thus fierce competitors on that front.

5. It may be written in English, but The Jakarta Post is a truly Indonesian newspaper: More than 90% of its editorial staff, including all of its managers and chief editors, are Indonesians.

6. All fulltime workers own a share of the company through a foundation which holds a 20 percent-equity in PT Bina Media Tenggara, the publisher of the newspaper. They are stakeholders in a double sense of the meaning.