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Detik.com
View on WikipediaDetikcom (stylized in all-lowercase) is an Indonesian digital media company owned by Trans Media, a business unit of CT Corp. Detikcom is an online news portal and publishes breaking news. The portal is consistently ranked among Indonesia's 10 most-visited websites and is among the top 250 in the world.[1] It receives approximately 180 million visits per day.[2][3] A 2021 Reuters Institute survey ranked Detikcom as the most widely used online news source in Indonesia out of 16 top outlets.[4]
Key Information
History
[edit]Detikcom has its roots in DeTIK, which was Indonesia's top-selling and most critical political tabloid in the early 1990s. DeTIK was effectively banned on 21 June 1994, when Information Minister Harmoko withdrew its publication license together with Tempo and Editor magazine. DeTIK had upset the repressive regime of long-serving president Suharto by publishing interviews with senior military officers who were critical of civilian politicians. The tabloid had also dared to speculate on who would succeed Suharto.[5]
Following the resignation of Suharto on 21 May 1998, some journalists decided to set up an online news portal. Detikcom was originally founded by Budi Darsono (former Tempo and DeTIK journalist), Yayan Sopyan (former DeTIK journalist), Abdul Rahman (former SWA journalist), and Didi Nugrahadi. The domain name detik.com became active on 29 May 1998, however the site did not start producing content until 9 July 1998, which is considered its founding date. The founders focused on continuously updating breaking news, as well as more analytical news articles. Detikcom's first office was a small room at Lebak Bulus Stadium in South Jakarta.
On 3 August 2011, Detikcom was acquired by Trans Media under CT Corp, owned by Chairul Tanjung.
In 2019, Detikcom expanded into a media group called Detik Network, which consists of CNN Indonesia, CNBC Indonesia, Haibunda, Female Daily, Beautynesia, and insertlive.
References
[edit]- ^ "detik.com Overview". SimilarWeb. SimilarWeb Ltd. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "detik.com Site Overview". similarweb.com. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
- ^ "AdPoint - Welcome". Adpoint.detik.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
- ^ Nic Newman with Richard Fletcher, Anne Schulz, Simge Andı, Craig T. Robertson, and Rasmus Kleis Nielsen. "Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2021" (PDF). Reuters Institute. p. 137. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ David T. Hill (December 2006). The Press in New Order Indonesia. Equinox Publishing. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-979-3780-46-7.
External links
[edit]Detik.com
View on GrokipediaOverview
Founding and Mission
Detik.com was founded on July 9, 1998, marking the date when the website began publishing content, following the activation of its domain on May 29 of that year.[5][1] The initiative emerged in the immediate aftermath of Indonesia's Reformasi period, with the site's server becoming accessible just days after President Suharto's resignation on May 21, 1998, amid a burgeoning demand for freer and faster information dissemination via the internet.[9] It was established under PT Agranet Multicitra Siberkom by a core group of journalists, including Budiono Darsono (a former Detik print magazine reporter), Yayan Sopyan (also ex-Detik), Didi Nugrahadi, and Abdul Rahman (former SWA editor), who sought to transition from traditional media constraints to digital immediacy.[5][1][10] The founders, drawing from their backgrounds in print journalism during an era of censorship under the New Order regime, aimed to create Indonesia's first dedicated online news portal, capitalizing on the medium's potential for real-time updates unbound by print cycles.[11] This timing aligned with the rapid expansion of internet access in urban Indonesia, positioning detik.com as a pioneer in shifting news consumption from daily or weekly publications to instantaneous digital delivery. The name "detik," meaning "second" in Indonesian, underscored this emphasis on velocity, reflecting a deliberate break from slower legacy media formats.[12] At its inception, detik.com's mission centered on providing breaking news ("berita detik-detik") with a focus on current events, lifestyle, and public interest topics, prioritizing speed, accuracy, and trustworthiness to build public reliance in a post-authoritarian landscape.[4][12] Unlike state-controlled outlets, it adopted an independent stance, leveraging user-generated tips and on-the-ground reporting to foster transparency, though early operations were bootstrapped with limited resources before later expansions. This core objective evolved into a commitment to innovative digital journalism, as articulated in company profiles describing it as the "fastest and most trustworthy" platform, without formal ideological affiliations but grounded in empirical event coverage.[4][5]Core Operations and Reach
detik.com functions as a digital-first news portal, delivering real-time breaking news and updates across multiple categories including national politics, international affairs, finance, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle, primarily in the Indonesian language.[13] The platform operates 24/7 through its core infrastructure under PT Trans Digital Media's DetikNetwork, emphasizing rapid content dissemination via web, mobile apps, and multimedia integrations such as live TV streaming to cater to on-the-go users.[14] [15] This model prioritizes high-velocity reporting on events like accidents, crimes, and economic developments, supported by an editorial workflow that aggregates and verifies stories for quick online publication.[16] The site's operational backbone includes sub-portals for specialized content (e.g., detikNews, detikFinance, detikSport) and user engagement tools like apps that enhance accessibility, with features for personalized news feeds and push notifications.[17] Content production relies on a combination of in-house journalists and digital tools for indexing and retrieval, enabling efficient scaling in Indonesia's competitive media landscape.[18] Advertising integration forms a key revenue driver, with mediakits highlighting targeted placements to sustain operations amid digital shifts.[19] In terms of reach, detik.com commands the top position among Indonesian news websites, attracting over 143 million monthly visits as of October 2025 and ranking seventh overall in the country per Semrush data.[20] SimilarWeb analytics confirm its leadership in the news and media publishers category for September 2025, despite a 5.31% month-over-month traffic dip, underscoring its dominance in user engagement within Indonesia's 200+ million internet population.[21] [22] The portal's audience is overwhelmingly domestic, bolstered by high mobile penetration and cultural relevance, positioning it as a primary information hub for millions of daily users seeking timely, localized coverage.[1]History
Origins as Print Media and Transition to Digital (1990s–2000s)
Tabloid DeTIK, the print precursor to detik.com, was launched on March 3, 1993, as a weekly political news publication in Indonesia amid a period of tentative press liberalization under the New Order regime.[23] It quickly gained prominence for its investigative reporting on corruption and government abuses, achieving a circulation of up to 600,000 copies by 1994.[23] However, its critical stance led to its forced closure on June 22, 1994, when authorities revoked its publishing permit, citing violations of press guidelines—a move emblematic of the regime's intolerance for dissent. This ban effectively ended DeTIK's print operations, scattering its team of journalists who had built a reputation for rapid, on-the-ground coverage using tools like handy-talkies for real-time updates.[24] In response to the print shutdown and the emerging internet infrastructure in Indonesia during the late 1990s, former DeTIK journalists including Budiono Darsono (previously with Tempo and DeTIK), Yayan Sopyan, Abdul Rahman, and Didi Nugrahadi established PT Agranet to revive the brand digitally.[5] The detik.com domain was registered and activated on May 29, 1998, with full news content launching on July 9, 1998, marking it as one of Indonesia's earliest serious online news platforms.[5] This transition capitalized on the internet's potential to bypass print censorship, adopting a "detik" (second-by-second) update model that discarded traditional daily or weekly cycles for continuous, real-time reporting. During the early 2000s, detik.com expanded its digital footprint amid Indonesia's post-Suharto democratization and rising internet access, which grew from under 1 million users in 2000 to over 18 million by 2007.[25] The site integrated multimedia elements like photos and later video, while maintaining a focus on breaking news from politics, crime, and social issues, drawing on the DeTIK legacy of speed and independence.[26] By mid-decade, it had established itself as a pioneer in online journalism, with initial funding of around Rp 40 million enabling a lean operation that prioritized web-based dissemination over physical distribution.[26] This shift not only preserved the investigative ethos suppressed in print but also adapted to digital demands, setting the stage for broader audience engagement in an era of analog-to-digital media convergence.Expansion and Acquisition (2011–Present)
On August 3, 2011, CT Corp, led by Chairul Tanjung, acquired full ownership of detik.com (operated by PT Agranet Multicitra Siberkom) in a transaction valued at approximately US$60 million.[27][28] This move integrated detik.com into Trans Media, CT Corp's broadcasting arm, which includes television networks such as Trans TV and Trans7, enabling synergies in content distribution and digital reach.[29] The acquisition followed rapid growth for detik.com, which had established itself as Indonesia's leading online news portal without a print counterpart, reporting revenues of Rp 20 billion in 2010.[30] Post-acquisition, detik.com underwent operational enhancements, including a logo revamp and plans for integrated financial services targeting CT Corp's banking and insurance customers.[31] By 2014, Trans Media partnered with Turner Broadcasting to launch CNN Indonesia, expanding detik.com's ecosystem with specialized international news content.[32] Similar expansions included CNBC Indonesia for business coverage, broadening the platform's scope beyond general news to verticals like finance, health, and lifestyle through sub-portals such as detikFinance and detikHealth. In 2019, detik.com formalized its growth into Detik Network, a media group incorporating affiliated sites including CNN Indonesia, CNBC Indonesia, HaiBunda (parenting), Female Daily (beauty), and Beautynesia (lifestyle).[33] This restructuring supported audience expansion, with Detik Network achieving 88 million unique visitors that year.[34] Regional extensions, such as detikSumut for North Sumatra coverage, further localized content amid Indonesia's digital media surge.[35] Traffic growth continued, with detik.com maintaining dominance in online news consumption, scraping over 790,000 articles from 2011 to 2020 across its domains.[36]Ownership and Corporate Structure
Key Owners and Affiliations
Detik.com is owned by PT Trans Media Corpora, a subsidiary of CT Corporation, an Indonesian conglomerate founded and controlled by billionaire Chairul Tanjung.[5] The acquisition occurred on August 3, 2011, when CT Corp purchased PT Agranet Multicitra Siberkom, the original operating company behind detik.com, from its prior shareholders including Agranet Tiger Investment and Mitsui & Co.[37] Prior to the buyout, detik.com had been partially held by Japanese firm Mitsui & Co., which divested its stake as part of the transaction valued in media reports at approximately US$60 million.[28] Chairul Tanjung serves as the ultimate controlling owner through CT Corp, which encompasses diverse sectors including banking (Bank Mega), retail (Transmart), and broadcasting (Trans TV, Trans7, and CNN Indonesia).[29] This integration positions detik.com within Trans Media's digital portfolio, alongside outlets like CNNIndonesia.com and CNBCIndonesia.com, enabling cross-promotional synergies but raising questions about potential alignment with the parent conglomerate's business interests in coverage of economic and regulatory topics.[38] No public disclosures indicate shifts in ownership since 2011, with Tanjung retaining majority control amid CT Corp's expansion into multimedia.[5]Business Model and Revenue Streams
detik.com operates on an advertising-driven business model, providing unrestricted free access to its news content to maximize user traffic and engagement, thereby generating revenue primarily through digital advertisements. The site features multiple ad formats such as display banners, interstitials, video pre-rolls, and native sponsored integrations embedded in editorial feeds, capitalizing on its position as one of Indonesia's top-trafficked news portals.[39] Direct sales to advertisers account for roughly 80% of advertising revenue, involving customized campaigns tailored for brands seeking targeted reach within detik.com's high-volume audience, while programmatic advertising platforms contribute the remaining 20% through automated bidding and real-time exchanges.[40] Sponsorships represent a supplementary stream, often involving branded content series or event tie-ins that align with specific editorial sections like detikFinance or detikFood.[39] Integration within CT Corp's Trans Media subsidiary since its 2011 acquisition enables detik.com to bundle ad opportunities across TV, print, and digital assets, amplifying appeal to national advertisers and contributing to the group's overall media revenue, where advertising historically comprises over 80% of earnings.[38] This model prioritizes scale over subscriptions, eschewing paywalls to sustain broad accessibility and advertiser value in Indonesia's competitive online news market.[40]Content and Features
News Format and Style
detik.com structures its news articles using the inverted pyramid format, prioritizing the most critical information in the lead paragraph, which summarizes key facts following the 5W+1H framework (who, what, when, where, why, and how).[41] [42] This approach ensures readers grasp the essence of the story immediately, with subsequent body sections providing supporting details, context, and quotes in descending order of importance, often concluding with background or less urgent developments.[43] Articles typically include a concise headline designed to attract attention, followed by a byline crediting the reporter and editor, and a dateline indicating the location and timestamp of publication or last update.[44] The writing style emphasizes brevity, clarity, and factual reporting, employing straightforward Indonesian language with short paragraphs to enhance readability on digital platforms.[45] Sentences avoid verbosity, focusing on active voice and direct quotes from sources to maintain objectivity, though occasional analytical elements appear in deeper coverage.[46] This aligns with detik.com's emphasis on speed, as the outlet prioritizes rapid dissemination of updates, often incorporating real-time elements like live blogs or frequent revisions during breaking events.[47] Multimedia integration is a hallmark, with articles frequently embedding high-resolution images, infographics, and short video clips sourced from events or official releases to visually support narratives.[48] Bullet points or numbered lists are used for enumerating facts, timelines, or statements, breaking dense text and aiding quick scanning by mobile users.[45] While adhering to journalistic neutrality in straight news, the format allows for sub-sections or sidebars in longer pieces to explore related angles without disrupting the core flow.[49]Sub-Portals and Multimedia Integration
Detik.com organizes its content through specialized sub-portals, each dedicated to distinct categories to cater to varied user interests. Key sub-portals include detikNews, focusing on general and breaking news from Indonesia and internationally; detikFinance, covering economic, business, and investment updates; detikSport, providing comprehensive sports reporting on football, motorsports, and other events; and detikHot, emphasizing entertainment, celebrity gossip, and pop culture.[13][50][51] Additional sub-portals extend to detikInet for technology and digital trends, detikHealth for medical and wellness topics, detikEdu for education-related content, and niche areas like automotive (detikOto), food (detikFood), and travel (detikTravel).[52] These portals enable targeted navigation, with cross-linking to related stories across the site.[15] Multimedia integration forms a core component of detik.com's delivery, enhancing textual articles with visual and audio elements to boost engagement. The site features embedded videos, photo galleries, and interactive infographics within news pieces, often sourced from on-site reporting or user submissions.[15] A dedicated Detik TV section streams live broadcasts and on-demand videos, including event coverage and interviews, while vertical short videos support mobile consumption.[15] Detikcom produces original podcasts, such as those analyzing current events in informal yet substantive discussions, distributed via Spotify and accessible through the platform's tags.[53] The multimedia ecosystem extends beyond the website via official channels on YouTube for full-length videos and shorts, Instagram for photo and reel content, and TikTok for quick clips, allowing real-time sharing of breaking developments. This integration, which began expanding post-2011 acquisition, leverages user-generated visuals and professional footage to provide multifaceted storytelling, with over 1 billion monthly podcast views reported on associated platforms like YouTube in related contexts. Such features contribute to detik.com's high traffic, as multimedia drives repeated visits and social amplification.[54]Technological Innovations
Detik.com pioneered rapid digital news delivery in Indonesia through a custom workflow emphasizing real-time updates, enabling articles to be published within seconds of event occurrence to maintain its "detik" (second-by-second) branding. This system relies on streamlined editorial tools and server-side technologies like PHP frameworks for efficient content management and API integrations, facilitating high-volume, low-latency publishing.[55][56] The platform's mobile application, available on Android and iOS, incorporates push notification systems that alert users to breaking news without requiring app access, supporting instant dissemination across devices. Updated as of September 2025, the app extends beyond news aggregation by integrating e-commerce functionalities, such as direct ticket purchases for Trans Studio and Trans Snow World entertainment venues, blending informational and transactional services to enhance user engagement.[57][17][58] In 2015, detik.com introduced dNewGeneration, an initiative to reorient operations toward multi-platform digital adaptability, incorporating dynamic responses to advancements in information technology for broader content distribution via web, apps, and social integrations. This evolution supports seamless multimedia embedding and user personalization, positioning the site as a responsive digital ecosystem amid Indonesia's growing internet penetration.[59][4]Editorial Stance and Bias
Reported Neutrality and Fact-Checking Practices
Detik.com operates under the Indonesian Code of Ethics for Journalists (Kode Etik Jurnalistik), established by the Indonesian Press Council, which requires reporters to maintain independence, produce accurate and balanced news without malice, and verify information through multiple sources before publication.[60] [61] This code emphasizes factual reporting and prohibits the dissemination of unverified claims, aligning with broader commitments to neutrality in editorial practices.[62] The platform engages in fact-checking through dedicated content tags and channels, such as "fact-check" and "Hoax or Not," where articles debunk misinformation, clarify viral claims, and incorporate verifications from external partners like AFP Fact Check.[63] [64] [65] Regional variants, like DetikJatim, apply fact-checking protocols by cross-referencing claims with official sources and eyewitness accounts to uphold publication standards, a practice mirrored in national coverage.[66] Independent assessments rate detik.com as least biased, citing neutral headline phrasing, minimal opinion infusion, and reliance on primary sources for factual reporting.[38] [67] Analyses of specific events, including COVID-19 coverage from early 2020 onward, describe framing as predominantly neutral and procedural, focusing on official data and elite quotations without overt sensationalism.[68] Academic studies on code implementation reveal consistent adherence in routine news but occasional deviations in high-profile cases, such as criminal reporting, where ethical lapses like incomplete victim protections have been noted despite verification efforts.[69] [70] Detik.com does not participate in international fact-checking networks like the IFCN, relying instead on domestic ethical guidelines and ad-hoc methodologies rather than formalized, transparent protocols.[71]Analyses of Framing in Coverage
Analyses of detik.com's news framing reveal patterns of emphasis on responsibility attribution, conflict, and human interest across major events, as identified in quantitative content analyses of thousands of articles. In coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic from early 2020 onward, a study of 6,713 news items found the dominant frame to be attribution of responsibility, portraying government actions and public compliance as central to crisis management, followed by conflict frames highlighting disputes over policy enforcement and economic consequences frames underscoring financial impacts on businesses and individuals.[72] This approach aligns with episodic framing that personalizes the crisis through individual stories rather than thematic structural critiques, potentially reinforcing official narratives on accountability.[68] In political reporting, framing often amplifies controversy or opportunity depending on the issue's alignment with prevailing power structures. For instance, detik.com's coverage of the 2023 Constitutional Court decision lowering age requirements for presidential and vice-presidential candidates—enabling Gibran Rakabuming Raka, son of President Joko Widodo, to run—employed positive framing, emphasizing expanded youth participation in democracy over concerns of dynastic politics or procedural irregularities.[73] [74] Comparative analyses with outlets like Kompas.com highlight detik.com's tendency toward supportive tones on pro-incumbent developments, contrasting with more skeptical framings elsewhere. During the 2019 presidential election, broader studies of Indonesian online media, including detik.com, documented biased practices such as selective sourcing and unbalanced quote allocation favoring certain candidates, contributing to polarized public perceptions.[75] Social issue framing shows episodic and humanistic emphases, sometimes veering into sensationalism. Coverage of the 2024 Jessica Wongso poisoning trial framed the event dramatically, prioritizing emotional testimonies and courtroom drama over forensic or legal procedural depth, which amplified public intrigue but risked oversimplifying judicial complexities.[76] On LGBTQ+ topics, detik.com adopts a sympathetic humanism frame, portraying affected individuals through personal narratives that evoke empathy rather than moral condemnation, diverging from conservative societal norms in Indonesia.[77] Gender representation analyses indicate systemic under-emphasis on women, with male sources and subjects dominating quotes and mentions in general news, potentially skewing issue salience toward male-centric perspectives.[78] These patterns, while not indicative of overt ideological slant per external ratings, suggest pragmatic framing attuned to audience engagement and corporate affiliations, as detik.com prioritizes high-traffic, conflict-driven narratives that boost multimedia consumption. Independent evaluators rate it as minimally biased with factual reporting, based on neutral headline wording and sourcing from official statements, though academic critiques note subtle elite-favoring tendencies in attribution frames during elections and crises.[38] Such analyses underscore the outlet's role in shaping causal attributions toward institutional actors, influencing how Indonesians perceive accountability in politics and public health.Reception and Impact
Popularity Metrics and Audience Demographics
detik.com is the most visited news and media publisher website in Indonesia, holding the top rank among such sites as of September 2025.[21] In September 2025, the site recorded 143.27 million visits, with an average session duration of 7 minutes and 48 seconds.[20] This positions it as a dominant player in the Indonesian online news landscape, surpassing competitors like kompas.com.[21] Early 2025 surveys indicated high penetration among Indonesians, with 46% accessing detik.com at least once a week and 28% using it three days per week, reflecting its status as one of the most frequently consulted online news sources in the country.[79] The site's audience is predominantly from Indonesia, accounting for the vast majority of traffic.[80] Demographically, visitors are 55.91% male and 44.09% female, with the largest age cohort being 25- to 34-year-olds.[22]| Demographic Category | Breakdown |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male: 55.91%; Female: 44.09%[22] |
| Top Age Group | 25-34 years (largest segment)[22] |
| Primary Location | Indonesia (majority of traffic)[80] |

