http://thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/a-year-of-news-danger-surprise-and-scandal/341096
November 11, 2009 Because of their surprising twists and turns, and the strong public reaction they've provoked, two cases involving the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have become the dominant stories of our first year of publication. (Photo: Akbar Nugroho Gumay, Antara) A Year of News: Danger, Surprise and Scandal The Jakarta Globe began publishing exactly one year ago. It has been quite a ride. Late last year, we were deeply worried about a growing global financial crisis that seemed to threaten Indonesia and the rest of the region. Our inaugural issue carried a Page One story on the collapse of Bank Tripanca, a small lender in Sumatra. We feared more such stories would follow. Fortunately, the crisis did not exact a brutal toll on Indonesia. Other than Bank Century's messy collapse late last year - the fallout of which continues to haunt the current fight between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the National Police - the financial system here has remained sound, thanks to past reforms and timely intervention by the government. Similarly, the stock market's wild ride and the rupiah's steep plunge, while frightening and costly, proved short-lived. Both have returned to healthier ranges as investors have recognized the value the country offers. Nature has not been so kind. The West Sumatra earthquake claimed more than a thousand lives and reminded us all of the dangers we face in a part of the world where the geology is unstable and construction often unsound. On the political front, the country had two peaceful national elections. While irregularities made headlines, the results of the April legislative polls and the July presidential election were largely endorsed by the public and honored by both winners and losers. Stability prevailed. Other events, however, both surprised and fascinated. Manohara Odelia Pinot's tale of abuse and dramatic escape from her royal Malaysian husband made the teenage beauty into an overnight celebrity. Prita Mulyasari's prosecution for criminal defamation after sending an e-mail criticizing the service she received at a local hospital mobilized the Facebook generation to support her cause. But surely the greatest surprises of the year were the twin cases involving the KPK. First, KPK Chairman Antasari Azhar was arrested in the murder of a businessman over an apparent love triangle with a golf caddie. Then, two deputy KPK chairmen were charged by police with extortion and abuse of power, setting off a chain of events that have focused public anger on the police and dominated the political agenda. Now, the two cases appear to be coming together, according to recent court testimony. Through all of these stories - and thousands of others - we have tried to remain balanced, accurate and informative. Our job is to assist our readers to understand the world around us and to remain true to the task we set for ourselves when we launched the Jakarta Globe. In our first editorial, we asked if a newspaper's approach to the news matters. "We think it matters because newspapers both reflect and shape their societies," we wrote. "They represent the whole while making sense of the many parts - the society, economy, culture, politics, education and religion - that a nation needs in order to develop." We still think it matters and we thank you for being part of our first year. We hope there will be many more to come. Related articles Bring On the Ministry Of Disaster Mitigation 12:34 AM 02/10/2009 A Shameful Display At Suspects' Funerals 10:24 PM 13/08/2009 President Must Keep Positive Credit Rating 10:44 PM 11/06/2009 Time to Unplug the Electricity Subsidies? 9:47 PM 28/05/2009 The Significance of the Anti-Corruption Court 9:49 PM 27/05/2009 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
