RNW Media introduces a new series, Digital Media Shakers, where we highlight bold voices shaping public interest and independent media. Next up: Wahyu Dhyatmika, CEO of Tempo Digital and Chairperson of AMSI (Indonesian Cyber Media Association).
As CEO of Tempo Digital and Chairperson of AMSI, Wahyu Dhyatmika is one of Southeast Asia’s leading voices in digital transformation and media integrity. From championing collaboration to defending press freedom, Wahyu shares in this edition of the Digital Media Shakers series how technology can strengthen — not replace — the core mission of journalism.
RNW Media: Tempo has long been a pioneer in marrying investigative journalism with digital innovation. How would you describe that journey?
Wahyu: “Tempo’s digital transformation is rooted in one conviction: technology must serve and strengthen journalistic integrity, not replace it. When we moved from print to digital, we weren’t simply migrating platforms — we were rethinking how to sustain truth-telling in a new information ecosystem.
“We built an integrated newsroom, introduced data-driven decision-making, and trained every department — journalists, product managers, designers, developers, and audience teams — to think like journalists. Everyone who builds the website, app, or distribution tools is part of the newsroom, equally responsible for user experience, credibility, and ethics.
“I always say to my colleagues at Tempo: we make money so we can publish stories, not the other way around. We must be profitable so that we can keep our newsroom independent and continue producing investigative journalism that matters. That philosophy still guides us. Technology changes, but Tempo’s DNA — editorial independence, verification, and accountability — remains constant.”
RNW Media: What were the biggest challenges in moving from a traditional newsroom to a digital operation?
Wahyu: “The most difficult challenge was cultural, not technical. Many journalists were trained to see credibility as something that comes from print, not clicks. That’s why from the start of our digital transformation; we identified our organisational culture: what makes Tempo who we are. With that understanding, we can assure our staff that all these new things will not change who we are. We had to rebuild a shared belief that data, analytics, and algorithms can strengthen—not dilute—the public mission of our journalism.
Equally important was redefining structure. In the digital newsroom, there should be no divide between reporters, editors, and operational teams. Product and tech staff are no longer “support”; they are co-creators of journalism. This unified mindset is what allows Tempo to innovate while staying true to purpose.
Another challenge was the increasing commercial and political pressure in the media business in Indonesia. The business model of many Indonesian media has long been dependent on government-linked advertising, which often compromises editorial independence. That dependency creates subtle forms of censorship—stories softened, delayed, or dropped altogether under pressure from advertisers or political powers. At Tempo, we chose a different path: diversifying revenue through subscriptions, providing training and workshops, data and research services, and strategic communication partnerships, rather than compromising our editorial integrity.”
RNW Media: In today’s fast-paced news environment, how do you balance speed with accuracy?
Wahyu: “Speed is easy; accuracy is rare. We separate the breaking-news desk from the investigative and analysis teams, ensuring that immediacy never overrides verification. Audiences may forget who published first, but they never forget who told the truth. In an information ecosystem flooded by content, credibility is our competitive advantage. Our newsroom has learned that being right builds more lasting engagement than being fast.”
RNW Media: You’ve spoken about safety and integrity. How does Tempo protect journalists in an increasingly hostile environment?
Wahyu: “We maintain layers of protection—editorial review, legal vetting, digital security, and encryption. But intimidation is real. Last March, Tempo was targeted with grotesque threats meant to silence us. These attacks remind us that press freedom must be defended every day.”
He continues, “We also face structural exploitation. AI bots scrape our content without consent or compensation. Platforms must negotiate fairly and allow transparent access for researchers. Digital spaces are now public spaces, and they must be regulated as such.”
RNW Media: What role do independent media play in rebuilding trust?
Wahyu: “Independent media are the backbone of public trust in our information ecosystem. Tempo is part of the coalition between Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI), The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and civil society anti-slander movement (Mafindo) in establishing CekFakta, a collaborative network of more than 100 local outlets dedicated to fact-checking and countering misinformation. This network has been active since 2018, starting with fact-checking the presidential election and local leadership elections across Indonesia. The idea is simple: trust cannot be rebuilt alone—it requires shared verification, shared ethics, and shared responsibility.
The rise of generative AI and deepfakes makes this mission even more critical. Synthetic voices and manipulated videos now spread faster than corrections. We must strengthen collaboration between media, researchers, and civil society to detect, debunk, and educate.
Platforms, too, must open their data and algorithms to scrutiny. Without transparency, we cannot defend democracy from disinformation. In this environment, independent journalism is not just a profession—it’s an infrastructure for truth.”
RNW Media: Looking ahead, what do you think the next phase of digital transformation will look like for Southeast Asian media organisations?
Wahyu: “The next phase will be defined by AI governance, data justice, and linguistic diversity in small and large language models. Southeast Asian media must engage with global AI companies on equal footing—demanding fair compensation for data use and participating in the creation of homegrown tech and alternative large language models (LLMs). Currently I am also the chairperson at AMSI, and with colleagues in other media, we are building coalitions to ensure that Indonesian and regional publishers can supply verified data to AI models ethically and benefit economically from it. We cannot allow AI to replicate existing inequalities—where data flows north and value stays there. Our stories, our languages, and our journalism must shape the next generation of AI tools.”
Wahyu ended the conversation with advice to young journalists: “this is an exciting time to be a journalist. With all the new technology introduced in our information ecosystem, people’s behaviour in accessing and processing news is also changing. To stay relevant, journalism must adapt; therefore, we need to embrace innovation and keep our integrity at the same time. Those are not opposing values. By being a journalist in this changing time, you have an opportunity to define the new format of storytelling, the new business model, the new audience engagement strategy, and so much more.”
So as journalism enters the AI era — how will the next generation ensure technology serves integrity, not replaces it?