Tow #7 - "Meet Joko Widodo"

In the profile piece of Joko Widodo, Hannah Beech introduces the new leader. The recently elected 7th president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo or Mr. Jokowi for short, will be sworn into office on October 20th, 2014 and in this piece, is described in great detail. Hannah Beech, an established journalist and the Southeast Asia Bureau Chief for Time Magazine, appears to be introducing Mr. Jokowi to the entire world, in order for everyone to become familiar with the new leader and his practices. She uses direct quotes from the president himself and other credible sources in order to establish credibility and intense diction to emphasize the seriousness of the role that he is taking on. She uses these strategies to present the new president to the world. One important quote from the president was his description of his life with his family. Beech quotes, " 'My family, we worked very hard for basic human needs, like food, education, health care,' He says. 'That’s why I know from my experience that democracy must deliver a better life to the people.' " In this direct quote from the president, Beech illustrates his willingness to work hard and how he really understands what many of his citizens are going through, only increasing his want to help them and proving him to be a man of the people. She also quotes other sources, like Ernest Bower,   chairman for the southeast Asia studies at the center for strategic and international studies (CSIS). He said, " ' My gut tells me history is going to call on Jokowi to provide leadership and he will fulfill it.' " This powerful quote emphasizes the belief that Jokowi will be successful as president and displays the faith that many people have in him and his practices. Beech also uses very strong words, which constantly changes the tone of the piece. When describing many of the problems in Indonesia, she used words like, flustered, issues, challenges, aggressively, and vulnerable, giving that section a very tense and serious tone. These are just a few examples of her intense diction which affects the entire tone of the profile. I think that Beech definitely achieved her purpose. After reading, I felt much more educated not only about Jokowi, but about the entire archipelago of Indonesia and its economy and culture. This profile effectively introduced the new leader to the world and the world looks forward to seeing what he will achieve as the President of Indonesia.