Press freedom is often regarded as one of Indonesia’s most important achievements in the post-authoritarian reform period. But a relaxed attitude to media ownership has seen the emergence of large media conglomerates, with significant implications for the diversity of content. Digital technologies are also rapidly transforming Indonesia’s media landscape.
How free is the Indonesian press? How does media ownership affect journalists and audiences? To what extent are media watchdogs effective, and how will digital technology shape the future of Indonesian media?
In this edition of Talking Indonesia, I discuss these issues and more with Dr Ross Tapsell, lecturer at the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University (ANU) and expert on the Indonesian media. He is one of the convenors of this year’s Indonesia Update conference on Indonesia’s digital revolution.
Talking Indonesia is a fortnightly podcast presenting extended interviews with experts on Indonesian politics, foreign policy, language, culture and more. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen to the entire Talking Indonesia podcast via Stitcher.
Photo by Flickr user Danumurthi Mahendra.
