'Teknokra' student publication strives for excellence
'Teknokra' student publication strives for excellence
Student magazines are a means for students to express their
thoughts and to groom future journalists. Yet, sadly, the number
of such publications in the country is limited. One among the few
prominent student publications in the country is Teknokra, of
Lampung University in Bandarlampung, Lampung province. The
Jakarta Post's stringer Oyos Saroso tells of Teknokra in this
special report.
It was 10 p.m. when several journalists of Teknokra student
magazine arrived at the magazine's secretariat on Jl. Sumantri
Brojonegoro here. They had just attended a meeting to discuss
preparations for recruiting new reporters.
The journalists had to return to their secretariat to select
news coverage proposals lodged by new reporters and to complete
the articles and lay out for Teknokra's newspaper edition.
The students entered the secretariat and began to unpack the
simple meals they had bought at a food stall near the university.
They then ate while sitting on the floor, chatting about
Teknokra's current affairs.
The eight meter by 15 meter secretariat in the compound of
Lampung University is a hive of activity day and night, as
students hold many activities there. Besides working on the
quarterly, 100-page Teknokra magazine, the students also produce
a biweekly eight page newspaper.
The students do not receive an honorarium or any financial
incentive for the hard work they put in to report and write the
stories.
"We never think of material gain. Even if we were given an
honorarium by the university, we would reject it in order to
avoid any rumors that we were being co-opted," said Abdul Gofur,
Teknokra's chairman.
Gofur is the backbone of Teknokra along with Roni Sepriyono,
the chief editor and Dede Sopyandi, the business manager.
Although they are busy writing their theses, they have to
ensure that Teknokra magazine and newspaper are published and
distributed on time. The magazine and newspaper are distributed
to 10,000 students at Lampung University. The money for the
publications and distribution comes from a contribution of Rp
6,000 per semester given by Lampung University students. Lampung
University also provides a major portion of the funding for
Teknokra, which is one among several extra curricular activities
at the university.
Teknokra is one of the better known student publications among
the country's universities, besides Balairung newspaper produced
by students at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.
Teknokra is well known because of its high quality journalism.
Teknokra Magazine received an award from the Institute for the
Study of the Free Flow of Information (ISAI) in 2002. ISAI named
the magazine the second best student publication in the country
that year. A year earlier, the magazine was named the fifth best
student publication. The awards have boosted the enthusiasm of
the Teknokra team to keep the publication alive.
Teknokra is also considered one step ahead of other student
publications. While other student publications fill their pages
with opinion pieces, Teknokra has been developing stories based
on event coverage since the reform movement in 1998.
Teknokra has also encountered the common difficulties faced by
student publications, namely dealing with the university, its
main donor. Lampung University Rector Muhajir Utomo once
threatened to close the student publication after Teknokra
published stories on the university's women students who sought
additional money as mistresses of high-ranking government
officials in Lampung.
Even Radar Lampung daily once threatened that it would take
Teknokra's management to court after it reported on a Radar
Lampung journalist who received bribes.
Now, the student publication has to work harder as it has gone
commercial in the past year. The magazine also receives
advertisements from various quarters, including hotels, radio
stations and even photocopy services.
The public can subscribe to the magazine or they can buy it at
bookstores across Lampung province.