Messages of sympathy flow in to the closed magazines
Messages of sympathy flow in to the closed magazines
JAKARTA (JP): Messages of sympathy flowed into the offices of
Tempo, Editor and DeTIK magazines today, consoling journalists
and employees who face uncertainty following the revocation of
their publishing licenses.
Laughter and cheers filled the fifth floor of the Prioritas
Building in Central Jakarta, where DeTIK has been operating, as
journalists read aloud every message that came on their fax
machine or from the mail, some coming even from Australia.
The mood was slightly relaxed as the journalists joked that,
at least they were no longer pressed for deadline.
Chief Editor Eros Djarot read one sympathetic letter from the
The Sidney Morning Herald.
"We've also received phone calls from some government
officials expressing their regret over the ban," Eros said.
There were letters of condolence from regular advertisers and
distributing agencies, who were part of DeTIK's success story in
pushing its circulation up to nearly 500,000 over the past year.
An entire stack of papers in the corner of the documentation
room was reserved for letters from readers.
While expressing anger and regret, the letters praised the
magazine for having chosen the right stance and for quenching the
readers' thirst for insightful information.
"The endless incoming letters of sympathy show that we have
fulfilled our mission well," Eros said.
"The ban is killing the hopes and the dreams of young people
for justice, democracy and openness," he said. "The most critical
and difficult challenge now is how to regain our confidence."
Financial losses
Meanwhile, dozens of loyal news agents visited Tempo's office
at the Bukaka Building, seeking further explanation about the
magazine's sudden end.
One woman who runs a news agent in Jakarta said the ban
against Tempo will mean substantial financial losses to many news
agents because the magazine is one of the best selling items.
The board of employees' representatives held a meeting
yesterday to discuss their future at Tempo, now that the magazine
is virtually defunct.
"We discussed `belt-tightening' measures and had a
brainstorming session to review various alternatives," Robin Ong,
a photographer of the magazine said. "Most of us never imagined
this would happen, so we weren't prepared."
Telephones rang continuously as letters and telegrams arrived,
all expressing their sympathy.
"Some readers simply could not accept the official explanation
and asked for the real reasons behind the ban," Robin said,
adding that the editors could not answer this question.
At the Editor's office in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, the
reporters were also puzzled at the official explanation for the
cancellation of their license. (prs)