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Since 1998, Indonesians have been engaged in a contentious struggle to grapple with their past and imagine their future. This project examines the public sphere that has emerged as a result of two interconnected processes: political liberalization and the diversification of the media ecology, particularly via new media forms that enable ordinary people to become the producers and disseminators of political messages. The outcome is a participatory public sphere, yet one pervaded by doubt, uncertainty, and intense longing for authority and authenticity. I examine this post-authoritarian condition through analysis of a series of public debates and perceived crises that hinge on the authority and authenticity of particular texts and images circulating via various media channels. After Authority will contribute to broad interdisciplinary conversations about democratic transitions, media and political communication, and the public sphere.