SECOMS and MNEC promote ASEAN policy training for journalists
The Secretariat of State for Social Communication (SECOMS—acronym in Portuguese), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MNEC), is organising a training session on ASEAN policy for journalists on March 6th, 2024.
The event will take place at the Novo Turismo Hotel in Dili and will be attended by journalists and other representatives of public and private media, community radio stations, the Journalists Association, Village (Suco) Information Centres, the Press Council, civil society, SECOMS partners, and other relevant entities.
This initiative aims to deepen participants' knowledge of ASEAN's policies in information and journalism, ASEAN's cooperation in the information and media sector, as well as ASEAN's strategic plan for 2016 to 2025 in information and media.
The training will be facilitated by a trainer from the ASEAN Secretariat's Culture and Information Division.
The Secretary of State for Social Communication, Expedito Dias Ximenes, emphasised the importance of Timor-Leste's membership of ASEAN from a media point of view, highlighting the opportunities for participation in regional activities related to the media sector and the promotion of journalist exchanges between member countries. Given that Timor-Leste is a young and small nation with continuous media development, it is crucial to learn from the most advanced member states in information technology. 
The Secretary of State pointed out that although the digital transformation has expanded media coverage, both conventional and digital, it is imperative to recognise that, with the advancement of technology in the digital age, Timor-Leste will face challenges when it becomes a member of ASEAN, primarily due to the intense competition between the media in the more developed and developing ASEAN countries. In this context, preparations for Timor-Leste's integration into international organisations prioritise strengthening the media sector. This includes improvements to the media's infrastructure, capacity building for journalists and continued respect for Timor-Leste's journalistic code of ethics, which incorporates international and regional media regulations.
Despite the challenges, the Secretary of State emphasised that Timor-Leste's membership in ASEAN will significantly benefit the media sector. It will provide the opportunity to learn about advanced information and communication practices in other countries and serve as a benchmark for media development in Timor-Leste.
“With digital advancement in today's age, we will undoubtedly have no limits or boundaries in our conventional news coverage and digital platforms. However, we must be aware that with the advancement in technology that we are experiencing, we will also face challenges when we become members of ASEAN, as competition will be intense, especially competition between media outlets, including those stronger in ASEAN member countries that have already achieved considerable development, compared to ours, which are still beginning their development process. We will undoubtedly face many challenges. That is why preparing for ASEAN membership requires the media to prepare for intense competition, with a robust infrastructure and training for journalists, and the media must continuously respect the journalistic code of ethics that we have and respect international and regional regulations governing the media. However, the significant benefits we can gain are to know the advanced reality that exists in other countries, so that we can bring information that we obtain through the coverage we do in other advanced countries in the ASEAN region to benefit our developing nation”," stated SECOMS.
