Government signs Agreement with the Media on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day
On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day, commemorated on 3rd May 2013, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the national media bodies with the objective of promoting access to information in Timor-Leste, supporting distribution of national press throughout the districts, sub-districts and sucos all over the country.
Through the afore-mentioned Memorandum of Understanding, signed with the national media (Timor Post, Jornal Independente, Suara Timor Lorosae, Grupo Media Nacional and Tempo Semanal), the Secretariat of State for the Media (SoSM) intends to promote access to information, guarantee the universal right to the media, particularly among the most isolated populations, and ensure that every citizen may follow-up the activities of the State with a critical spirit so that there is an increasingly active participation of citizens in the democratic process underway in the country.
Under the afore-mentioned protocol of cooperation, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste intends to support national media bodies still lacking appropriate means that enable them to cover the entire national territory. Their newspapers will now reach the most remote population, which will contribute simultaneously for the strengthening of their human and financial resources so that, in future, they may distribute their papers autonomously throughout the country. Distribution of newspapers shall commence this month and their strategic partners are the community leaders themselves, who will now be able to follow-up the development process of the country as well as the activities carried out by the Government through news bulletins published by the national press.
It is the understanding of the Government that this initiative will help to increase reading habits among the population.
The initiative counts on the support from the Ministry of State Administration, which will help distribute the newspapers in the districts, sub-districts and sucos on a daily and weekly basis.
