Indonesian Press Figure Jakob Oetama Dies

Jakob Oetama (Photo: Twitter @ompasTV)

JAKARTA - The press figure and founder of Kompas Gramedia Jakob Oetama passed away at the age of 88.

Broadcast by Kompas TV, Jakob passed away today, Wednesday, September 9 at Mitra Keluarga Gading Head Hospital, North Jakarta.

"The senior journalist who is also the founder of Kompas Gramedia Jakob Oetama has passed away," said the statement quoted by Kompas TV.

The plan is for Jakob's body to be buried at the Kompas Gramedia Palmerah office, Jakarta and then buried in the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Selatam Jakarta on Thursday, September 10.

Director of Mitra Keluarga Kelapa Gading Hospital Ronald Reagen said that Jakob was treated on August 22. When he first received treatment, he was in critical condition and weak.

"At that time, we had done maximum treatment. During the treatment, we responded quite well and got better, but due to the old age factor and other accompanying factors, the condition finally worsened again," said Ronald.

Meanwhile, the doctor who treated Jakob, Felix, confirmed that the senior journalist had run a COVID-19 swab twice and tested negative.

It is known that this man who was born in Magelang, September 27, 1931, started his career as a journalist by becoming an editor at the weekly magazine Sower in 1965. Subsequently, in 1963, together with PK Ojong, a fellow journalist, he founded Intisari magazine.

After that in 1967 Jakob and Ojong founded the Kompas daily which they manage to date. Under his leadership, Kompas grew rapidly and had a number of subsidiaries in the media sector to university.

Jakob also makes English-language media, namely The Jakarta Post, which is published on April 25.

In addition, he is also active in various press organizations including serving as the central administrator of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and advisor to the Asean Journalists Confederation.

He has also received a number of awards including the Honoris Causa Doctorate in Communication from Gajah Mada University and Bintang Mahaputra Utama from the Indonesian government in 1973.