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Detik.com
Detik.com
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Detikcom (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

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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

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from Grokipedia
Detik.com is an Indonesian online news portal founded on 9 1998 by a group of journalists including Nugrahadi and Budi Darsono, initially as a digital extension of the print magazine Detik to provide rapid, real-time updates amid Indonesia's post-Suharto press liberalization. The name "detik," meaning "second" in Indonesian, underscores its emphasis on speedy reporting across categories such as , , , and , pioneering "real-time" online in the country and establishing it as the most influential outlet with multiple specialized sub-portals. Acquired on 3 August 2011 by under —a conglomerate owned by businessman —detik.com expanded into a media group while claiming to retain despite the ownership's ties to 's political and economic elite. By , the platform employed over 1,000 staff and dominated online traffic in , though analyses of its coverage have highlighted framing patterns in political and disaster reporting that reflect broader media ownership influences in a democratizing yet oligopolistic . No major scandals have defined its operations, but its role in shaping public discourse underscores the challenges of maintaining objectivity amid concentrated media control.

Overview

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. 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. 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. 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. This timing aligned with the rapid expansion of 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. At its inception, detik.com's mission centered on providing ("berita detik-detik") with a focus on current events, , and topics, prioritizing speed, accuracy, and trustworthiness to build public reliance in a post-authoritarian . 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 , as articulated in company profiles describing it as the "fastest and most trustworthy" platform, without formal ideological affiliations but grounded in empirical event coverage.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Advertising integration forms a key driver, with mediakits highlighting targeted placements to sustain operations amid digital shifts. In terms of reach, detik.com commands the top position among Indonesian news websites, attracting over 143 million monthly visits as of 2025 and ranking seventh overall in the country per data. SimilarWeb analytics confirm its leadership in the news and media publishers category for 2025, despite a 5.31% month-over-month traffic dip, underscoring its dominance in user engagement within Indonesia's 200+ million internet population. 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.

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. It quickly gained prominence for its investigative reporting on corruption and government abuses, achieving a circulation of up to 600,000 copies by 1994. 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. In response to the print shutdown and the emerging internet infrastructure in during the late , 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. 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 's earliest serious online news platforms. 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 amid Indonesia's post-Suharto and rising , which grew from under 1 million users in 2000 to over 18 million by 2007. The site integrated elements like photos and later video, while maintaining a focus on from , , and social issues, drawing on the DeTIK legacy of speed and independence. By mid-decade, it had established itself as a pioneer in online , with initial funding of around Rp 40 million enabling a lean operation that prioritized web-based dissemination over physical distribution. 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. 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. 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. Post-acquisition, detik.com underwent operational enhancements, including a logo revamp and plans for integrated targeting CT Corp's banking and insurance customers. By 2014, partnered with Turner Broadcasting to launch , expanding detik.com's ecosystem with specialized international news content. Similar expansions included for business coverage, broadening the platform's scope beyond general news to verticals like , , and through sub-portals such as detikFinance and detikHealth. In , detik.com formalized its growth into Detik Network, a media group incorporating affiliated sites including , , HaiBunda (parenting), Female Daily (beauty), and Beautynesia (lifestyle). This restructuring supported audience expansion, with Detik Network achieving 88 million unique visitors that year. Regional extensions, such as detikSumut for coverage, further localized content amid Indonesia's digital media surge. Traffic growth continued, with detik.com maintaining dominance in online news consumption, scraping over 790,000 articles from 2011 to 2020 across its domains.

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. 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. 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. Chairul Tanjung serves as the ultimate controlling owner through , which encompasses diverse sectors including banking (Bank Mega), retail (Transmart), and broadcasting (, , and ). 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. No public disclosures indicate shifts in ownership since 2011, with Tanjung retaining majority control amid 's expansion into multimedia.

Business Model and Revenue Streams

detik.com operates on an advertising-driven , providing unrestricted free access to its news content to maximize user and , thereby generating primarily through digital advertisements. The site features multiple ad formats such as display banners, interstitials, video pre-rolls, and native sponsored integrations embedded in feeds, capitalizing on its position as one of Indonesia's top-trafficked news portals. Direct sales to advertisers account for roughly 80% of , 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. Sponsorships represent a supplementary stream, often involving series or event tie-ins that align with specific editorial sections like detikFinance or detikFood. 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. This model prioritizes scale over subscriptions, eschewing paywalls to sustain broad accessibility and advertiser value in Indonesia's competitive online news market.

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 , which summarizes key facts following the 5W+1H framework (who, what, when, where, why, and how). This approach ensures readers grasp the essence of the story immediately, with subsequent body sections providing supporting details, , and quotes in descending order of importance, often concluding with background or less urgent developments. Articles typically include a concise designed to attract attention, followed by a crediting the reporter and editor, and a indicating the location and of or last update. The writing style emphasizes brevity, clarity, and factual reporting, employing straightforward with short paragraphs to enhance readability on digital platforms. Sentences avoid verbosity, focusing on and direct quotes from sources to maintain objectivity, though occasional analytical elements appear in deeper coverage. 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. 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. Bullet points or numbered lists are used for enumerating facts, timelines, or statements, breaking dense text and aiding quick scanning by mobile users. 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.

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 from Indonesia and internationally; detikFinance, covering economic, , and updates; detikSport, providing comprehensive sports reporting on football, motorsports, and other events; and detikHot, emphasizing , celebrity gossip, and pop culture. Additional sub-portals extend to detikInet for and digital trends, detikHealth for medical and wellness topics, detikEdu for education-related content, and niche areas like automotive (detikOto), (detikFood), and (detikTravel). These portals enable targeted navigation, with cross-linking to related stories across the site. 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. A dedicated Detik TV section streams live broadcasts and on-demand videos, including event coverage and interviews, while vertical short videos support mobile consumption. Detikcom produces original podcasts, such as those analyzing current events in informal yet substantive discussions, distributed via and accessible through the platform's tags. The ecosystem extends beyond the website via official channels on for full-length videos and shorts, Instagram for photo and reel content, and 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 , with over 1 billion monthly views reported on associated platforms like in related contexts. Such features contribute to detik.com's high traffic, as multimedia drives repeated visits and social amplification.

Technological Innovations

Detik.com pioneered rapid digital news delivery in through a custom 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 frameworks for efficient content management and integrations, facilitating high-volume, low-latency publishing. The platform's mobile application, available on Android and , incorporates push notification systems that alert users to without requiring app access, supporting instant dissemination across devices. Updated as of September 2025, the app extends beyond news aggregation by integrating functionalities, such as direct ticket purchases for Trans Studio and Trans Snow World venues, blending informational and transactional services to enhance user engagement. In 2015, detik.com introduced dNewGeneration, an initiative to reorient operations toward multi-platform digital adaptability, incorporating dynamic responses to advancements in 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 penetration.

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. This code emphasizes factual reporting and prohibits the dissemination of unverified claims, aligning with broader commitments to neutrality in editorial practices. The platform engages in through dedicated content tags and channels, such as "fact-check" and "Hoax or Not," where articles debunk , clarify viral claims, and incorporate verifications from external partners like AFP Fact Check. Regional variants, like DetikJatim, apply protocols by cross-referencing claims with official sources and eyewitness accounts to uphold publication standards, a practice mirrored in national coverage. Independent assessments rate detik.com as least biased, citing neutral headline phrasing, minimal opinion infusion, and reliance on primary sources for factual reporting. Analyses of specific events, including coverage from early 2020 onward, describe framing as predominantly neutral and procedural, focusing on and quotations without overt . Academic studies on implementation reveal consistent adherence in routine but occasional deviations in high-profile cases, such as criminal reporting, where ethical lapses like incomplete victim protections have been noted despite verification efforts. Detik.com does not participate in international networks like the IFCN, relying instead on domestic ethical guidelines and ad-hoc methodologies rather than formalized, transparent protocols.

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 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 , followed by conflict frames highlighting disputes over and economic consequences frames underscoring financial impacts on businesses and individuals. This approach aligns with episodic framing that personalizes the crisis through individual stories rather than thematic structural critiques, potentially reinforcing official narratives on . 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 , son of President , to run—employed positive framing, emphasizing expanded youth participation in over concerns of dynastic or procedural irregularities. 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 , 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. Social issue framing shows episodic and humanistic emphases, sometimes veering into . Coverage of the 2024 Jessica Wongso framed the event dramatically, prioritizing emotional testimonies and over forensic or legal procedural depth, which amplified public intrigue but risked oversimplifying judicial complexities. On LGBTQ+ topics, detik.com adopts a sympathetic frame, portraying affected individuals through personal narratives that evoke empathy rather than moral condemnation, diverging from conservative societal norms in . representation analyses indicate systemic under-emphasis on women, with male sources and subjects dominating quotes and mentions in general , potentially skewing issue salience toward male-centric perspectives. 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. Such analyses underscore the outlet's role in shaping causal attributions toward institutional actors, influencing how 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 , holding the top rank among such sites as of September 2025. In September 2025, the site recorded 143.27 million visits, with an average session duration of 7 minutes and 48 seconds. This positions it as a dominant player in the Indonesian online news landscape, surpassing competitors like .com. Early 2025 surveys indicated high penetration among , 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. The site's audience is predominantly from , accounting for the vast majority of traffic. Demographically, visitors are 55.91% male and 44.09% female, with the largest age cohort being 25- to 34-year-olds.
Demographic CategoryBreakdown
GenderMale: 55.91%; Female: 44.09%
Top Age Group25-34 years (largest segment)
Primary Location (majority of traffic)

Influence on Indonesian Media Landscape

Detik.com, established in 1998 as one of 's inaugural independent online news portals, catalyzed the shift toward by demonstrating the viability of web-based platforms for mass news dissemination in a market previously dominated by print and television. Its model of hyper-local, real-time reporting—leveraging the site's name, derived from the Indonesian term for "second"—prioritized velocity, which pressured legacy media to invest in online and emulate rapid update cycles to retain audiences. By 2025, detik.com sustains dominance with over 140 million monthly visits, ranking as Indonesia's top news website and capturing nearly 97% of its domestically, thereby exerting agenda-setting power that amplifies certain narratives and marginalizes others through sheer volume and algorithmic prominence. This scale has normalized high-frequency, content production across the sector, fostering a competitive environment where outlets prioritize metrics over sustained investigative depth, though detik.com itself upholds basic ethical norms amid this race. The 2011 acquisition by (formerly Para Group) for approximately US$60 million integrated detik.com into a cross-media empire encompassing television and print assets, amplifying its influence via content synergies but reinforcing oligopolistic control that stifles viewpoint diversity in digital news, as empirical analyses of patterns indicate no net pluralism gains from online expansion. Consequently, while detik.com elevated online media's accessibility and immediacy, its trajectory underscores how digital pioneers can entrench concentrated power structures rather than democratize information flows.

Controversies and Criticisms

Political Framing Incidents

Detik.com's reporting on the 2019 revision to Indonesia's (KPK) law, a highly contentious measure accused of undermining institutions, employed a framing that centered on and elite negotiations among lawmakers and the executive. This approach, analyzed through Robert Entman's framing model, highlighted causal attributions to political maneuvering rather than foregrounding public concerns over weakened oversight mechanisms, potentially aligning with government narratives during the period from September 4 to 17, 2019. In coverage of the 2024 presidential election dynamics, including the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar (AMIN) shift, detik.com's framing emphasized relational changes and political realignments, with quantitative analysis revealing a balanced but selective emphasis on coalition impacts over deeper ideological critiques. Such portrayals drew scholarly scrutiny for potentially reinforcing elite-driven narratives amid accusations of dynastic influencing selections, though no widespread public backlash targeted detik.com specifically. Academic examinations of detik.com's handling of politically charged issues, like the 2023 Constitutional Court decision on electoral thresholds (Article 169q of No. 7/2017), further illustrated diagnostic framing that diagnosed problems through legal-procedural lenses while recommending treatments aligned with institutional continuity, contrasting with more adversarial outlets. These patterns suggest a tendency toward consensus-oriented reporting in polarized contexts, informed by Indonesia's media ties to political actors, yet without documented cases of editorial directives explicitly biasing selection.

Ethical and Reporting Issues

Detik.com has faced scrutiny from 's Dewan Pers (Press Council) for inaccuracies in political reporting, notably in its coverage of Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan's March 2022 podcast statements on big data analysis. The outlet published an article on April 19, 2022, titled "Dilema Politik Big Data Menko Luhut," which misrepresented Luhut's comments by claiming that data from 110 million citizens indicated support for delaying elections and extending presidential terms, whereas Luhut had actually stated that the public sought a peaceful life without political upheaval. This distortion, which fueled public protests including at Universitas Indonesia on April 13, 2022, was ruled a violation of Articles 1 and 3 of the Kode Etik Jurnalistik (emphasizing truthfulness and accuracy) by Dewan Pers on May 27, 2022, mandating a correction by June 3, 2022; detik.com's delayed response prompted further public complaints. In another documented case, detik.com's 2015 reporting on the of Sahlan bin Bandan violated journalistic in all 10 analyzed articles, particularly under Articles 1 and 3, due to low objectivity, factual inaccuracies, and failure to uphold impartiality in source balance and verification. A quantitative found consistent breaches in presenting unverified claims and unbalanced perspectives, highlighting broader challenges in online media's rush to publish. More recently, in May 2025, detik.com retracted an opinion article amid allegations of external pressure on the author, prompting Dewan Pers to investigate claims of while affirming that retractions fall under editorial discretion but must prioritize transparency to avoid undermining press freedom. The council condemned any coercive tactics, emphasizing the need for media outlets to protect contributors and disclose retraction rationales publicly. Critics have attributed recurring issues to detik.com's emphasis on rapid, exclusive updates, which occasionally compromises verification processes, as evidenced in framing analyses of budget-related coverage where speed superseded thorough accuracy checks. Despite these incidents, independent assessments rate the outlet as mostly factual overall, though specific lapses underscore the tension between operational tempo and ethical standards in Indonesia's competitive digital news environment.

References

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