The best laid plans can unravel so quickly.
ICFJ had been planning the coverage of the local Timorese elections, to be held today, October 9th, for the past two months or so. Journalists had been trained and then dispatched throughout the country. The media houses, with their high-speed internet connections, were staging areas for the stories to be filed from the districts back to Dili.
The best laid plans can unravel so quickly.
ICFJ had been planning the coverage of the local Timorese elections, to be held today, October 9th, for the past two months or so. Journalists had been trained and then dispatched throughout the country. The media houses, with their high-speed internet connections, were staging areas for the stories to be filed from the districts back to Dili.
As in the two previous elections, the media outlets had agreed to pool their reporters in order to get the maximum coverage. ICFJ was facilitating the coverage – covering transport costs, internet, equipment and coordination. Unlike the last two elections, this one would be a challenge logistically, because more than 400 villages would be voting for their local leaders.
As a result, election coverage would begin a few days before the election to give reporters a chance to spend a little extra time in these small communities and generate stories from them.
Everything hinged on the high speed internet connection – allowing reporters to visit villages, get the story, get back to a Media House and file their stories back to Dili very quickly.
Wednesday afternoon, as reporters began to file those stories back to Dili – ICFJ’s internet connection in the capital -- crashed. It was impossible to get access to the stories filed from the Media Houses.
Strangely and thankfully, Skype continued to work.
Election coordinator Frances Suni and IT manager Oscar Selly got on the phone and contacted each reporter – instructing them how to attach text and audio files to Skype’s instant messaging service. Within an hour, stories began arriving via Skype from Baucau and Suai. By 6pm, journalists had filed six stories from the field – including five radio reports.
The following day, the day before Election Day, the internet at ICFJ was up and running normally, but journalists were now hooked on Skype. Most continued to file the stories this way – sending text, audio and photographs. A total of seven stories were filed – including two radio reports.
Today, election day, the internet is down again, but Skype continues to work – and the stories keep coming in! By the end of the day, more than 30 stories had been filed from the districts – including 22 radio reports.
ICFJ’s coordination of the pool coverage for the local elections involves more than 30 journalists – who are filing stories from eleven of the 13 districts – including Oecusse, Los Palos, Viqueque, Ainaro, Ermera, Liquica, Suai, Manatuto, Bobonaro and Dili.
The election pool includes 10 radio stations, www.timortoday.com and four newspapers. Stop by www.timortoday.com for the latest election news!