Jusuf Wanandi, cofounder and president director of the Post, said he hoped that the strategic investment and partnership would not only bolster the newspaper’s position as a leader in the country’s media landscape, but also enhance its ability to engage with more diverse communities and contribute to positive social impacts. 

“By joining forces, we are not only amplifying important conversations around gender equality and social justice, but also ensuring that diverse voices have a stronger platform to be heard,” Jusuf said, adding that the Post was always eager to expand collaboration with other entities to strengthen the press freedom vital to the country’s future development.

The Post further announced its rebranding into The Jakarta Post Group, which comprises the flagship newspaper, newly added member Magdalene, research think thank Tenggara Strategic and creative boutique B/NDL Studios. Each entity will continue to operate independently and continue its function autonomously.

Established in 2013, Magdalene’s progressive stance on social and women-oriented issues has prompted it to grow as a household name in the online media landscape.

Read also: Indonesian women artists transcend compliance

Devi Asmarani, Magdalene’s CEO and editor in chief, said the partnership was an “important milestone” for the publication, which initially started as a two-person-run web magazine aimed at “disrupting the conventional women’s media space 11 years ago.”

“We have [since] grown into a multimedia brand leading the movement to cover the issues of the day through a gendered lens, all while empowering generations of young readers,” Devi said.

The Post’s investment in Magdalene comes on the back of a continuous struggle among the country’s mainstream media to be financially sustainable, as the industry and media consumption took a rigorous shift over the years from traditional print to websites and social media.

Women, front and center: A mosaic of illustrations by artist Karina Tungari features Pop Art-esque portraits of the 100 prominent Indonesian women whose stories appear in 'Herstory: Perempuan Nusantara di Tepi Sejarah' (Herstory: Indonesian Women on the Margins of History), a book by online feminist publication 'Magdalene' launched on Dec. 1, 2020. (Courtesy of magdalene.co/-)

Bayu Wardhana, the secretary-general of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), noted that major print-based publications have been forced to close down in recent years, including Koran SINDO, Koran Tempo and Gatra magazine.

“If we include media companies that were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to shut down their operations, the list would go on,” Bayu told the Post on Wednesday.

Online media platforms also financially struggled with the advent of artificial intelligence as a new business model, causing websites like DailySocial.id to lay off staff and close operations earlier this year.

On that note, researcher and media analyst Ignatius Haryanto considered the news of the Post’s partnership with Magdalene “a welcome surprise”.

“The media industry is currently not in a good situation, so I think collaboration like this is better than competition [between media companies],” he said on Monday.

This photo illustration taken on March 27, 2024 in Jakarta shows the front page of The Jakarta Post newspaper with a photo of the Francis Scott Key Bridge following its collapse after being hit by the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26. (AFP/Adek Berry)

Devi shared a similar sentiment, saying: “At a time when journalism constantly has to defend itself against digital disruption and changing media consumption, collaboration is the most logical way forward to widen our reach, amplify our impact and ensure sustainability.”

Ignatius believed this collaboration would “benefit both companies”, as Magdalene could have more secure and sustainable management, while the Post could gain valuable articles and content from the feminist-based platform.

Read also: 'Mom, I'm tired. Can I sleep in your house tonight?'

Senior journalist and news editor Ika Krismantari also considered Magdalene’s inclusion in the Jakarta Post Group as “a breath of fresh air” in the media industry.

“This shows that a big newsroom and a small one can still complement each other, despite their different [target audiences],” Ika said, while hoping that other big companies could follow in the Post’s footsteps and nurture smaller media companies that produce good journalism pieces through similar partnerships.

“Hopefully, this sets a precedent for big media companies to also platform a small company that has similar values, as this could help the sustainability of the Indonesian media industry as a whole”.