Classes at the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) began on February 1st. ICFJ is teaching three classes at the university: a second year “Writing” class, “Introduction to Social Communications” and “Media and Its Role in a Democracy”. There are about 70 returning and 60 new students in the Social Communications program. ICFJ, in partnership with UNTL, has been providing lecturers for the program since November 2008.

ICFJ hired Kleto Nascinento to develop the Social Communications curriculum for the National University. Kleto is from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and specializes in curriculum development. He will be working with UNTL and a university in Brazil as he develops the program.

Two University of Dili students who are majoring in accounting are working as interns at ICFJ for the next two months: Vitrisio B.B.R.F. da Silva and Mariana da Costa Gusmao will gain practical experience in a variety of accounting and bookkeeping topics, including how to work with spreadsheets.

IT Manager Oscar Selly traveled to Suai on February 3rd. The distance is only 200 km; however, the poor quality of the roadway makes it an eight hour trip each way. Oscar carried out regular maintenance on the computers and the V-SAT at the Media House. He is also continuing to look for a part-time IT assistant in Suai who can handle maintenance duties there.

USAID representatives visited the Oecusse Media House in February. Coordinator Filomena Sila conducted a tour of the facility for Jerry Boavida and Ana Guterres of USAID’s Democracy and Governance Program.

A familiar face has returned to ICFJ’s TOT program: Budi Setyo, who has worked as a journalism trainer for ICFJ-TL in the past, is back, heading up the TOT program – providing training for the TOTs and teaching two Social Communications classes at the National University. Budi, who grew up in Indonesia, has spent the last 15 years living in Australia. He is completing his Masters Degree in Journalism at Victoria University in Melbourne. Besides teaching at ICFJ, Budi is conducting research for his degree.

Budi’s training partner is Marianne Kearney. They are working with the twelve participants of the TOT (Training of Journalism Trainers) program. Training topics include: news value, interviewing techniques, story structure, providing background to the story, and accuracy in spelling.

TOTs bring unpublished stories to each class and then their work is critiqued by the trainers. The TOTs are strongly encouraged to make changes or additions before publishing their stories.

The Media Analysis team of Ivan Lopes and Bendita dos Santos is providing weekly report cards on newspaper content – allowing the trainers to track any progress. Currently, the analysis team is looking at 12 to 14 newspaper stories each week, analyzing the leads, balance, accuracy and background. The findings are given to the TOTs to help them understand where improvements are needed.

The Media House in Dili, located in the ICFJ compound, is about to get a makeover. Plans are in place to officially open the Media House on April 1st. It will get better lighting, a new coat of paint and renovations to improve its outside appearance. Two additional computers are being added to the Media House, bringing the total number to five. All are connected to high-speed internet. Journalists and UNTL Social Communications students will also have access to a copier and printer. Students from the Social Communications program at UNTL will work as administrative volunteers – increasing their skills in the area of business and management.

The three newspaper partners who will operate the second-hand printing press that ICFJ helped procure have decided to call their new business “Independent Printing Press Timor-Leste”. The partners, who are the directors of Klaak, The Dili Weekly and Timor Post, will operate IPPTL as a for-profit business.

ICFJ’s Antonio Soares, the project manager for this program, continues to work closely with the partners and is guiding them in the process of establishing the new business. With assistance from consultant Craig Garrett, Soares has developed a structure for the new company. Draft versions of training packages for management and the board are completed. Soares is consulting closely with the partners to ensure their input is included.

Renovations are about 90 percent complete on the building that will house the printing press that was recently purchased in Indonesia. The press and accessories have been delivered to the site and remain inside a shipping container. Once the doors are in place on the building, the equipment will be moved into the facility. This is likely to occur in mid-March.

Renovations are also continuing in Maubisse – where the local community, with support from ICFJ, is establishing a community radio station. The building will also serve as a Media House. The building was essentially four walls and a dirt floor where bushes and plants were growing. ICFJ poured a new floor and added a roof to the structure. Windows and doors are also being added. Work at the site has been slowed down by the heavy rains this season.

ICFJ’s Business Development Unit informed nearly two dozen media outlets in February that ICFJ will be awarding another series of small grants. ICFJ will make available as much as thirty-thousand dollars to media organizations in this round of the Small Grants program. The average grant will total not more than three-thousand dollars. Applicants can request computers and other equipment, office furniture, phone credits and anything else that helps their own media programs. Some previous recipients have used the funds to host conferences and bring guest speakers to Timor-Leste. The funds cannot be used to pay salaries.

In mid-February, lawyer Sarah Harmelink joined the Media Law team. Sarah, a media lawyer from Sydney, joins ICFJ-IREX in partnership with Australian Volunteers International and Lawyers Beyond Borders. During her first weeks at ICFJ, Sarah has already met most of the stakeholders – including members of KOLKOS, Members of Parliament, UNDP representatives, and others. Sarah becomes the first full-time media lawyer to join the program, and her arrival means that ICFJ-IREX will be able to follow Media Law developments on a day to day basis – and work to ensure that journalists get a Media Law that is in their best interest.

ICFJ-TL Director Chuck Rice was interviewed by three high school students from Dili’s St. Joseph’s High School. The topic: the importance of high school journalism programs. In the article, Chuck was quote accurately: “With lots of experience in journalism, students will become better journalists, because the more they write, the better they get.” Their story appeared in the STL daily newspaper.

On February 12th, ICFJ staffer Paulo Amaral got married. Most of the staff attended the reception that followed. It included a three-tiered cake and a feast of local foods -- including chicken, pork, beef and fish dishes. Congratulations to Paulo and his wife!

Several new staffers joined the ICFJ family in February. They include Clementino Amaral, the new National Media House Coordinator; Miguel Alves who does translation and interpreting work, and Maniko Soares who splits his time between translation/interpreting duties and some IT support. Welcome to all!