Retorik was first published in the year 2001 under the guidance of its founding editors: St. Sunardi, Al Makin, P. Suparno, Y. Tri Subagya, Kuntoro Adi, Agung Wijayanto, Fred Wibobo, Novita Dewi, Agus Suwignyo, J.B. Banawiratma, Aristides Katoppo, and M. Sastrapratedja.
During the 2000s and 2010s, the publication frequency of Retorik has not always been regular. This was due to logistical issues and the difficulty of maintaining the editorial staff, many whom went on to become professors (and even rectors) at various different universities.
The current Editorial Team was established in 2021 with the following aims: (1) publish on a regular basis (twice per year); (2) attain higher standards of review and editing; (3) retain the identity of the journal as a truly interdisciplinary venue for humanities research; (4) form an international editorial advisory board; (5) establish a consistent style in citation and other aspects of presentation; (6) renew the website and license to bring them up to date with today’s international standards; and (7) make all past volumes viewable online.
The Editorial Team (currently headed by Dr. Min Seong Kim) is committed to developing Retorik as an important academic venue in Indonesia for publishing diverse and cutting-edge research in the humanities. As a journal based in Indonesia, Retorik is and will remain fully bilingual: not only does Retorik accept articles written in either Indonesian or English, all content on the journal's website is available in both languages. In line with the journal's tradition, the cover of every issue displays a different artwork by a renowned Indonesian artist.
Starting with Volume 10, Retorik has adopted single-column page layout for easier readability.