Every political aspirant and activist knows the media are important. But there is little agreement on how an increasingly diversified media operate in post-authoritarian transitions and how they might promote, or impede, the pathways to a sustainable liberal democracy in the 21st century. This book examines the role of the media during Indonesia’s longest experiment with democratisation. It addresses two important and related questions: how is the media being transformed, both in terms of its structure and content, by the changing political economy of Indonesia after the fall of Suharto? And what is the potential impact of this media in enabling or hampering the development of democracy in Indonesia?

The book explores the relation between the working of democratisation, by examining the role of ethnic identity and nationalism; increasingly cheaper and diversified means of media production, challenging state monopolies of the media; the reality of personalised and globalised media; and the challenging of the connection between a free media and democracy by global capitalism and corporate control of the media. The book argues that the dominant forces transforming Indonesia today did not arise from the singular point of Suharto’s resignation, but from a set of factors which are independent from, but linked to, Indonesia’s internal politics and which shape its cultural industries.

Reviews

“This collection of essay provides a broad overview of the ever-changing media landscape in Indonesia, not just in Jakarta but all over the country. With the increasing reach of the media in this country, the question of whether the media is empowering or manipulating people is more important than ever before. This book is a good place to find some answers.” - Ismira Lutfia, “Is Media Helping or Hurting Push for Democracy?”, Jakarta Globe, May 09, 2011

Contents

Acknowledgements The Contributors Introduction: Re-forming Media in Indoneo;s Transition to Democracy – Krishna Sen 1. Reorganisation of Media Power in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia: Ownership, Power and Influence of Local Media Entrepreneurs - Rachma Ida 2. On the Border: Local Media in the Land of Papua - David T. Hill 3. Community radio and the empowerment of local culture in Indonesia - Mario Antonius Birowo 4. Riding Waves of Change: Islamic Press in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia - Budi Irawanto 5. Indonesian Journalism Post-Suharto: Changing Ideals and Professional Practices - Janet Steele 6. Ownership and its Impact on Journalists and their practices - Ignatius Haryanto 7. The Transformation of the Media Scene: From War to Peace in the Moluccas, Eastern Indonesia - Birgit Bräuchler 8. "Radio Active": The Creation of Media-Literate Audiences in Post-Suharto Indonesia - Edwin Jurriëns 9. The Construction of Women in Contemporary Indonesian Women’s Cinema - Hapsari Dwiningtyas Sulistyani 10. Media and morality: Pornography post Suharto - J...