Dili, February 27, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Secretary of State for Social Communications (SECOMS) together with the Press Council held a discourse on the existence of media in Timor-Leste, this discourse was delivered after attending the SAPNEWS media anniversary celebration ceremony in the Balide hall.
In the SECOMS discourse, Espedito Loro Dias Ximenes conveyed that the progress and challenges, the development of communication organs in Timor-Leste but for this topic is divided into two sub-topics such as the Progress and Challenges of the presence of media in Timor-Leste, evaluated from time to time since the colonial occupation of Indonesia and the Independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste of 2002 selection.
“During the colonial period, there has been existing media called SEARA and A VOZ de Timor which were only places to publish news and also published articles which were sometimes the result of colonial training from these media and mixed with big names such as Nicolau Lobato, Xavier do Amaral, Abilio de Araújo, Fransisco Borja da Costa and others.” SECOMS said in the Balide hall.
During the Indonesian era, the Timorese people’s media remained alive as ‘Suara Timor Lorosa’e STL’ and “Radio Timor Kmanek’ from the church and also the absentee representative ‘Neon Metin’ and others. Therefore, during the struggle Timor-Leste became the target of major media in the world.
Nowadays media can be seen in the five daily newspapers conventional media such as Timor Post, Independente, and Dilipost, which continue to contribute to their clients every day in the form of online digital media which continues to spread in the country.
“Currently there are two major television stations, namely RTTL.EP and GMN.TV, which continue to provide news for the public interest every day. The digital platform of what we see in the real world we only have a telephone, which is in various brands such as ANDROID and IOS. Technology has made it easier, we can access any information just by telephone, we can access online platforms in the form of websites such as hatutan.com, sapnews, Dilipost live, GMNTV live streaming, AJENSIA TATOLI. A concrete example is present with a complete platform because it has a Facebook and Youtube website page. Since the independence of Timor-Leste, it has produced substances that promote press freedom, republican institutions guarantee freedom of expression, especially in a very dynamic media environment.” He said.
In general, the state of RDTL places great importance on the media and guarantees the RDTL constitution on freedom of the press and freedom of expression. The state itself has a television section and a news agency, then education at UNTL and UNITAL also have a Department of Social Communication.
President of the Press Council, Otelio Otte added, to register a media in the Press Council, conducting verification of the media itself is necessary.
“Before the media is registered with the Press Council, I ask that verification be carried out in the field so it goes back to the founder to ensure where the media office is, where the staff are and at the end they report to the media in the same place where the media can be registered,” he said.
The Press Council’s competence aims to ensure that journalists improve their professional and intellectual technical capacity, so that it will be easier for them to cover or write news.
Reported by : Nelia
Picture by : Nelia