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)