‘Kompas’ Daily\'s New Milestone

In its Jan. 3, 2018 issue, the Kompas daily appeared with a new face. The front page of the newspaper designed by Mario F Garcia, which had been enjoyed by Kompas readers for 13 years, was redesigned by Kompas journalists and designers. The daily’s new look highlights its visual aspect and informative content, which continues to grow.

Today, Thursday, March 8, 2018, the Kompas daily can also be enjoyed through its news portal named Kompas.id, which is the journalistic extension of the newspaper. Starting today, the Kompas.id application for Android can be downloaded from Google Play Store, while the iOS version will be coming soon.

The content of Kompas.id, whether in its desktop or app version, is an extension of the Kompas journalism that prioritizes in-depth data-based content, offers insight and strives to provide solutions. It is believed that data-based journalism is one of the ways of counteracting hoaxes and fake news.

Kompas.id falls under the management and responsibility of the daily’s editorial department. As to whether Kompas.id has been perfected, the answer is: Not yet! Your inputs will help improve Kompas.id from minute to minute, from day to day, and from month to month. We await inputs from you, our readers, to enable Kompas and Kompas.id to continue to improve the new app in accordance with our principle of continuous improvement.

Kompas daily and Kompas.id are a single unit that complement and enrich each other. What is read in the Kompas daily can also be enjoyed in the Kompas.id app, albeit in the different format and appearance of the long form it has adopted. Photographs, videos, static and dynamic infographics, a wealth of archives and research data consist the capital of the Kompas daily and Kompas.id.

We are grateful that, even though it is still in its early stages, Kompas.id is already being appreciated in a number of circles. The Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) sees that the content in Kompas.id can be used as an alternative learning tool in classrooms.

Kompas/Riza Fathoni

Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) chairman Unifah Rosyidi (right) is accompanied by secretary general Qudrat Nugraha (left) as he shakes hands with Kompas chief editor Budiman Tanuredjo after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Kompas office in Jakarta on Monday. Kompas gave teachers access to kompas.id for learning activities in the classroom.

The visual content, which reflects our passion for exploring our homeland – the central tenet of Kompas co-founder Jakob Oetama’s journalism, is presented in a more appealing way through Kompas.id. Explorative and in-depth coverage of our homeland through multimedia, such as the Coral Reef Expedition, Imlek Traditions, The Many Faces of Gamelan in the Archipelago, is an example of journalism founded on research and data, and is offered as an interactive package that takes advantage of digital technology. Self-conducted researches by the Kompas daily will further sharpen the way we see Indonesia.

Educational collaboration

The Kompas daily is also collaborating with a number of universities, such as Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University, Jakarta’s University of Indonesia, Surabaya’s Airlangga University, Jakarta’s Atma Jaya University and the Multimedia Nusantara University, also of Jakarta. Our collaboration with these education partners are unique to each institution’s needs. Several universities facilitate access to Kompas.id content through their internal network.

Kompas is using digital technology disseminate journalism that contributes to civilization, enlightens the public and gives voice to the public conscience while maintaining checks and balances on power.

As one of our founders, Frans Seda, wrote in conjunction with Kompas’s 25th anniversary on June 28, 1990 in an article titled "Along Memory Lane", the “Conscience of the People” remains the mandate of the Kompas daily. The mandate to be the people\'s conscience is not a mere slogan that was formulated indiscriminately. It is a deliberate choice that was made upon reflecting on our concerns about the condition of the people. The identity of Kompas at its birth 52 years ago must prevail as its characteristic spirit throughout the history of the nation and the state.

kompas/handining

Budiman Tanuredjo

Identity and spirit are the heart and soul of Kompas’s breed of journalism, whether in the daily or on Kompas.id. In its journalism praxis, Kompas and Kompas.id will continue to fulfill its self-appointed role as a "polite watchdog", as founded on the journalistic principles of Kompas general chairman Jakob Oetama, who stated: The journalistic style of Kompas daily and Kompas.id adopts the classical principle of “Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo” – pleasant in manner, powerful in deed.

Amidst the widespread circulation of hoaxes and baseless news, Kompas daily and Kompas.id offer in-depth, professional journalism. The design of the newspaper might change, and its platforms increase in print and digital, but its identity, vision and commitment to humanity will remain for all time. Technology makes everything more contemporary and relevant, but the Kompas breed of journalism will continue to be guided by its identity and history.