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Atmakusumah Astraatmadja | |
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| Born | (1938-10-20)20 October 1938 |
| Died | 2 January 2025(2025-01-02) (aged 86) Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Awards | Ramon Magsaysay Award |
Atmakusumah Astraatmadja (20 October 1938 – 2 January 2025) was an Indonesian journalist who was a recipient of theRamon Magsaysay Award for his formative role in laying the institutional and professional foundations for a new era of press freedom inIndonesia.[1] Atmakusumah received the 2008 Press Freedom Award from theAlliance of Independent Journalists for his dedication and commitment to advocating for press freedom in Indonesia,[2] as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023Press Council Awards for his service and contributions to the field of journalism.[3]
Atmakusumah's career as a cub reporter began after graduating from high school at the age of 19, working forSundayIndonesia Raya in 1957. His career there was very brief, as the newspaper was shut down bySukarno'sGuided Democracy government a year later. After losing his job, Atmakusumah briefly attended university, took on various jobs, and, feeling unsafe under military censorship, eventually decided to leave Indonesia to work forABC News in Australia andDeutsche Welle in Germany as radio newscaster.[4]
After thefall of Sukarno, in 1968, editor-in-chiefMochtar Lubis invited him to help republishIndonesia Raya newspaper.[5] Atmakusumah agreed and his career flourished at the newspaper where he rose to the position of managing editor. However, in 1974, the paper was once again shut down, this time bySuharto'sNew Order government, due to its reporting on theMalari incident.[6]
Blacklisted and unable to work as a journalist or writer,[7] Atmakusumah took a position at theUnited States Information Service inJakarta as a Press Assistant until 1992 when he was invited to teach journalism, press laws and ethics at the Dr. Soetomo Press Institute (LPDS). Two years later he was promoted as the executive director.[8]
Atmakusumah is regarded as a pioneer of press freedom principles through the formation of the Indonesian press laws. In 1999, after thefall of Suharto, Minister of InformationYunus Yosfiah appointed Atmakusumah as a government expert to assist in drafting the press bill and discussing it with members of parliament.[9][10] Through extensive debates, the new Press Law, which drastically amends the previous legislation and provides strong protections for press freedom, was ultimately enacted by PresidentB. J. Habibie.[11][12]
With the new Press Law, press publications no longer required licensing, which meant that the government no longer had the authority to censor or shut down press media.[13][14] The Press Law also transformed thePress Council, which was previously always led by theMinister of Information, into an independent body whose chairperson was democratically elected by journalist organizations, press companies, and public figures.[15] In 2000, Atmakusumah was elected as the first independent Chairperson of thePress Council, serving until the end of his term in 2003.[16][17]
During the last 30 years of his life, he indefatigably spoke at seminars and workshops on journalism, press freedom, and freedom of expression in approximately 40 cities, both large and small, across Indonesia.[18][19][20] By the end of his life, Atmakusumah was estimated to have trained 20,000 journalists inIndonesia andEast Timor.[21][22]
Astraatmadja died in Jakarta on 2 January 2025, at the age of 86.[23] In 2025 Atmakusumah was posthumously awarded the Nararya Star of Service for his outstanding contribution to the struggle for press freedom and his important role in the birth of the Press Law of 1999.[24]