Dili, November 22, 2024 (Média Democracia) – The Press Council (KI) together with the Secretary of State for Social Communication (SEKOMS) will create a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between Journalists and PNTL. This activity was carried out in the KI meeting room, Quintal-bo’ot, Dili, on Thursday.
According to the Chairman of the Press Council (KI), Otelioi Ote said, this event is very important as a history of institutional relations between the Press Council and PNTL.
“I would like to remind us all about the assistance of the Press Council, because KI was established on the basis of Law Number 5 of 2014 concerning Social Communication with the spirit of article 9 concerning Human Rights, articles 40 and 41 in the RDTL Basic Law which was formed in 2016 until now totaling eight.” Said the Chairman of the Press Council, Otelio Ote
The President of KI also added that in the eighth year it was seen that the social communication channels were truly spreading and so were the journalists who carried out their duties as part of the national development process, looking at the communication channels registered in KI with a total of 57 journalists and having 400 professional criteria attributes. The number of media and journalists has made a strong contribution based on the role of conventional media as a means to inform, control, educate and entertain.
“We are sourced from KI as a state institution that is independent in operational and financial aspects, and KI is also based on the Law and Legislation that has the authority to provide attention to clients in accessing information must ensure freedom of the press and freedom of opinion, must ensure that journalists carry out their duties based on the standards of the journalist code of ethics.” Said the Chairman of KI
He added that KI builds dialogue with social communication, civil society, and institutions. KI must ensure that all work carried out is based on the law of the press freedom profession and spreading democracy because this has existed since 2019 and KI is trying to communicate and institutionally relate to PNTL.
“We know that PNTL is a social communication institution that as a community institution has a role to realize a dignified, free and responsible society. In 2019, this activity is more focused on the socialization of social communication media. A few years ago this memorandum of understanding really needed to be improved in order to bring benefits to all of us, not only for journalists but also for PNTL institutions and members to guarantee media assistance and strengthen press freedom and guarantee the spirit of community or citizen participation in the process of development and spread of democracy. ” He continued.
He further explained that today all of us who are present here will witness a memorandum of understanding with the intention of collaborating, we know that the relationship between PNTL and the media community, especially KI, has been running well institutionally even though in practice there are disputes over journalistic practices and products including journalistic communication. However, with this memorandum of understanding, it will lead us to have knowledge about understanding how journalistic social communication works, how PNTL responds to cases related to journalistic products.
“I am very grateful to the team from the press council and the legal team from PNTL, we hope that what you have provided for today’s memorandum of understanding can provide benefits for all of us in working safely,” he said.
As the Secretary of State for Social Communications, Espedito Loro Dias Ximenes said that he was pleased that the Press Council and PNTL collaborated to sign a memorandum of understanding so that they could work together safely.
“The main objective of this memorandum of understanding is how to strengthen press freedom and freedom of expression based on the constitutional mandate of articles 40 and 41 of the Republic’s Constitution. Today’s ceremony is to show the public that PNTL and the media community are partners as a good strategy because PNTL as a state institution that provides order and security in society, KI media as a state institution that independently regulates Timor-Leste’s journalistic products.” Said SEKOMS, Espedito Loro Dias Ximenes
He continued, regarding freedom of the press, freedom of expression, most of us only think freely to interview those who do business in the market up to the President of the Republic.
“Journalists with their competent power and great social power in the freedom to interview people who sell on the roadside, in the market and everywhere up to the President of the Republic, but there are four main functions of the media, such as, informing, educating, entertaining and controlling society.” He said.
He added that currently there are no more conventional media or online digital platforms that produce information, but with the advancement of technology today, all people who have mobile phones also produce information, but there is no proper edition that gives rise to disinformation or fake news (hoaxes).
The cause of disinformation is through fake accounts, therefore the task of PNTL is to pay attention to disinformation in our country. Through this memorandum of understanding the media is tasked with educating, entertaining, and controlling social and PNTL maintains order in society.
“I think this cooperation is very important, I think the socialization in this agreement and memorandum of understanding will provide a forum for existing social communication so that the public can know when which PNTL working in the field may act and may not act when journalists cover an issue.” He said.
On the other hand, the Commissioner General of the PNTL Commander, Henrique da Costa Belo informed that today’s moment is very important for both institutions, such as the PNTL and the Press Council, which will sign a memorandum of understanding to work together.
“The signing of this memorandum of understanding since 2019 until now we see the work is going very smoothly so today we are signing the memorandum of understanding again but need to add some points so that both teams can do their jobs better in the future, we see the role of PNTL is important and so is the media because in a situation where PNTL cannot enter but journalists try how to enter to get information to share with the public so they can access it.” Said Commissioner General Commander of PNTL, Henrique da Costa Belo
He added that they still respect each other’s duties, but sometimes when in the field communication and coordination are not good, sometimes there are disputes between the police and journalists because the police do not understand the duties of the media and the media also do not understand the duties of the police, so disputes occur.
“The signing of this memorandum of understanding is a form of socialization in several trainings so that the media can easily find out about the performance of the police and the police can better understand the role of the media, therefore both teams will try to hold training for these two institutions because in other activities PNTL really needs the presence of the media because the media is the eyes, ears because without the media there is no information that reaches the public.” He added.
He further explained that his party hopes that the signed memorandum of understanding can bind both institutions, namely PNTL and the Press Council, so that it can provide good benefits. The important key is that the implementation of this agreement must create good communication in order to resolve and provide a way out of various differences of opinion from both institutions properly.
Reported by : Nelfiano
Picture by : Nelfiano