The Press in New Order Indonesia is the most comprehensive book available in English on the print media during the Suharto presidency. Based on detailed and investigative research, it provides a succinct introduction to the political and economic forces shaping this dominant sector of the Indonesian media at a pivotal time in its development. The study documents the history of the press prior to the rise of President Suharto, surveys the changing New Order policies to the media, and analyses the various modes of control exercised through powerful government agencies and industry bodies.
Throughout this critical historical period of political tension and economic transition, The Press in New Order Indonesia traces the development of huge media conglomerates which began to rival military muscle in shaping the media landscape of Indonesia. This study explains how the student press spilled off the campuses to play a unique political role. By contrast, a distinctly Islamic press achieved only very modest success. Focusing on Indonesian-language national daily newspapers, it also discusses news weeklies, periodicals and magazines, as well as publications in regional languages, English and Chinese. Brought back to life in Equinox Publishing's Classic Indonesia series, The Press in New Order Indonesia is required reading for students of Indonesian languages and cultures, Asian studies, Southeast Asian studies, media studies, journalism, and contemporary politics.
David T. Hill is Professor of Southeast Asian Studies and Fellow of the Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia.