Parada Harahap

Parada Harahap (born 1899 in Sipirok, Dutch East Indies, died 1959 in Jakarta) was an important journalist and writer from the late colonial period and early independence era in Indonesia. In the 1930s, he was called the "king of the Java press". He pioneered a new kind of politically neutral Malay language newspaper in the 1930s which would cater to the rising middle class of the Indies. He was largely self-taught and an enthusiastic reader from a young age, mainly reading materials sent to him by his sister who lived in Bukittinggi. However, he did also get a formal education, studying at the Teacher's Training School (Kweekschool) in Bukittinggi. At the age of 15 he became a clerk at a rubber plantation Rubber Cultuur Mij. Amsterdam in the Jambi area of Sumatra.

He soon expanded his news holdings, founding the wire service Algemene Pers en Nieuws Agentschaap (Alpena). quickly became the most successful, not least due to the popular writing of Abdoel Rivai. The editorial lineup in the first year, aside from Harahap, were G. Soetadipradja, Kadar, Hatnid and Abdullah Badjrei. The paper noted that Bintang Timoer would be independent of any religious or political faction, and that it had a more modern layout than most Malay language papers, with illustrations and more space given to content. That type of statement symbolizes his attitude in the late 1920s and 1930s, that newspapers are a business not a political movement, and accepting Dutch rule in the Indies rather than using the newspaper to fight it. Under its new guise in independent Indonesia, Harahap became president-director and head editor, and promised that the paper would have a "national progressive" line and to present the news in a responsible and neutral manner.

In 1956 Harahap was appointed dean of a new college for journalism and political science in Jakarta, the Perguruan Tinggi Ilmu Kewartawanan dan Politik or Akademi Wartawan, supported by the Yayasan Ibnu Chaldun, a foundation run by various Muslim figures in the city.

Harahap died on May 11, 1959, in Jakarta.

Selected works

Roos van Batavia : atau Gadis terpeladjar jang bebas merdeka (1924) Journalistiek (pers- en spreekdelichtenboek) (1924) Riwajat Dr. A. Rivai (1939) Pers dan journalistiek (1941) Vietnam merdeka! (1948) Kedudukan pers dalam masjarakat (1951) Toradja: Rangkaian Tanah Air (1952) (Indonesian: Toraja: Our land series) Indonesia sekarang (1952)