25 Facts About Jakob Oetama

Jakob Oetama was an Indonesian teacher, journalist, and businessman who was one of the co-founders and owners of Kompas Gramedia Group, the largest media group in Indonesia, together with P K Ojong.

Jakob Oetama has served as President Director of Kompas Gramedia, Advisor to the Central Board of the Indonesian Journalists Association, and Advisor to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Journalists Confederation.

Jakob Oetama was the recipient of the Honoris causa Doctorate in Communications from Gadjah Mada University and the Mahaputra Utama Star award from President Suharto in 1973.

Two years later, 28 June 1965, together with P K Ojong, Oetama founded the Kompas daily newspaper which he managed until his death.

Jakob Oetama died on 9 September 2020, coinciding with Kompas Television's 9th anniversary, at Mitra Keluarga Hospital Kelapa Gading, Jakarta and was interred at the Kompas Gramedia Building.

Jakob Oetama was given a state funeral on 10 September 2020 at the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery.

Jakob Oetama was born on 27 September 1931 in Magelang, Central Java, to a Javanese family of Catholic background, in Jowahan hamlet, Wanurejo village, 500 metres east of the Borobudur temple, Magelang Regency, Central Java, during the Dutch East Indies era.

Jakob Oetama's father was a school teacher in Sleman, Yogyakarta.

Jakob Oetama finished his basic education in Yogyakarta, and continued his education at Seminary High School in Yogyakarta.

Jakob Oetama continued teaching while majoring in history education, graduating in 1956.

Jakob Oetama further studied journalism in Jakarta and graduated in 1959.

Jakob Oetama studied at Gajah Mada University, majoring in journalism, and graduated in 1961.

Two years later, on 28 June 1965, with Ojong, Jakob Oetama established the Kompas daily.

Jakob Oetama successfully managed Kompas throughout Suharto's authoritarian regime, which repressed the press and media freedom.

Especially during the 1970s, when a number of news outlets were censored by the government, Kompas under Jakob Oetama approached journalism with caution and reported political issues with a moderating view, and hence largely escaped censorship.

One exception was a two-week period in 1978 when Kompas was banned for reporting on student protests, and a conflict erupted between Ojong who would have preferred to close down Kompas to submitting to government demands, and Jakob Oetama, who was willing to fall in line with the government.

Jakob Oetama became the general manager and the leading figure of Kompas following Ojong's death in 1980.

Together with Jusuf Wanandi, Muhammad Chudori, Eric Samola, Fikri Jufri, Goenawan Mohamad, H G Rorimpandey and Harmoko; Oetama established The Jakarta Post, an English language Indonesian newspaper, in 1983.

Jakob Oetama remained editor-in-chief of Kompas until 2000, when he selected Suryopratomo as his replacement.

Jakob Oetama was major supporter of the arts, establishing Bentara Budaya under Kompas Gramedia in 1982 which had galleries in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali.

Jakob Oetama is a recipient of the Star of Mahaputera, 3rd class in 1973.

Jakob Oetama had additionally served as an appointee to the People's Representative Council between 1 February 1967 and 1 October 1977, and again in 1997 although he had resigned by 1998.

Jakob Oetama received an honoris causa in communication from his former alma mater Gajah Mada University on 17 April 2003.

On 22 August 2020, Jakob Oetama was admitted to Mitra Keluarga Hospital in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, in a critical condition, suffering from multiple organ disorders.

Jakob Oetama was buried after a state funeral at Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery in South Jakarta at the same day.