Bob Hasan to give help to unemployed journalists

Bob Hasan to give help to unemployed journalists

JAKARTA (JP): Timber tycoon Mohammad (Bob) Hasan, widely
rumored to be linked with the establishment of a new magazine to
replace the defunct Tempo newsweekly, insisted yesterday that he
simply wanted to accommodate the displaced journalists.

"Yes, I'm thinking of helping them out," he told reporters
yesterday when he was pressed about his intention of establishing
a new magazine employing the former journalists of Tempo.

"They could be employed in my company or they start a new
magazine. We'll have to think this through," said Bob, who is
also the proprietor of two magazines, Paron and Sportif.

He said that as a matter of policy, he never interfered in the
day to day editorial decisions of his magazines. "In business, I
want everyone to be professional."

However, he said that he would interfere in editorial
decisions if the national interest is at stake. "If an article
attacks the government, then I will have to intervene on the
editorial board."

The government revoked the publishing license of Tempo in June
saying that the magazine has repeatedly ignored its warnings
about the editorial content.

Since then, various factions in the magazine have apparently
been competing to establish a new magazine with a new license and
new shareholders and a new name. The government has promised that
it will issue a new license to former Tempo employees.

One camp within Tempo is believed to support the entry of Bob
Hasan but the majority prefers to go it alone, using the 20
percent equity the employees had in the magazine as the capital
to start a new magazine.

On Wednesday, Bambang Bujono, who claims to have the mandate
of former Tempo employees, said that out of Tempo's 78
journalists, only 14 wanted to join Bob Hasan.

Bambang and his colleagues early this month applied for a new
publishing license for a magazine they call Opini (Opinion).
(amd/emb)