| Summary: | This research entitled' The Role of Indonesian Press to Support Democratization, is a historical descriptive study. The focus of this research is on the independent Indonesian press that happend during the transitional government of President B.J. Habibie until the general election (the forming of, the new government). This period was examined because at that time Indonesia had a dramatic change of political system. At that period, it was called the beginning of the transitional period of reaching democratization. This means that there was a shift from authoritarianism to democratization, which also called liberalization. The liberalization demanded a total reform of entire governmental system in Indonesia. That transition period was very important phase because of there factors which related to one another : liberalization - transition - instalation and 'consolidation'.Indonesian press during the transition period, along with the shift of the political system, was also encountered the same situation as the one mentioned above. During the New Order, the press news often had interpretation from the authority, even it became the authority's political power. In the reform era, press had more positive freedom, i.e., Indonesian press tended to be of popular culture or more pluralist. It could be seen from the press performance with often showed the country 's entity only as a part of game from group political people as the entire political system. Most of the press headlines gave full supports on debate and discussion held by political parties, interest group, NGO's, and so on. There was some pluralism among social political power in the society. Indonesian press, in this case, demanded for freedom from to be controlled by political groups and the government. As a result, there were no group dominated or being dominated in the press news. Eventually, through a very tough struggle supported by the Indonesian Legislative Assembly, the Press Regulation No. 40 /1999 - has been legalized.
Key Words: Indonesian Press -- Democratization
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