🇮🇩 Tempo

About Tempo

Tempo was founded in 1971 by Goenawan Mohamad and Yusril Djalinus and is published by Tempo Inti Media. It operates as a publicly listed company, with ownership primarily held by a group of individuals and institutional investors. In 2024, its subsidiary, PT Info Media Digital, received funding from the U.S.-based Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), with assurances that editorial independence is maintained and Tempo retains a controlling share.

Tempo is recognized for its investigative, watchdog journalism, frequently covering corruption, governance, and human rights issues. It has a history of challenging authorities, notably being banned in 1994 under the Suharto regime and resuming publication in 1998. The outlet has faced intimidation, including a firebombing in 2010 and anonymous packages containing animal carcasses in 2025, linked to its critical reporting. While Media Bias/Fact Check rates Tempo as 'Left-Center-biased' with 'High Factual' reporting, the Indonesian Press Council found Tempo violated journalistic ethics in a 2025 case, citing inaccurate and exaggerated coverage, which Tempo reportedly only partially clarified. The CEO acknowledges the inherent biases in journalism and emphasizes transparency and accountability. This operates within Indonesia's 'partly-free' press environment, where journalists face defamation laws, political pressures, and physical attacks.