Gil Guterres picked up the champagne bottle and started shaking it. The president of the Center for Journalism Investigations Timor-Leste had a huge smile on his face and the crowd was cheering him on. Suddenly, he popped the cork and the champagne went airborne. The crowd cheered.

The champagne was flowing after the speeches dedicating the newest ICFJ Media House -- this one in Dili.

Two dozen journalists as well as students from the Social Communications program at the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) and various dignitaries, ICFJ staffers and members of the community turned out for this mid-morning ceremony. In his speech, Otelio Ote, the president of the Syndicate of Journalists, stressed that the structure within some media outlets need to be improved in order to make their content the best it can be – at the same time he encouraged journalists to strive to do the best job possible when reporting on a story.

The Dili Media House offers a variety of training opportunities for journalists who want to hone their skills, and with the high-speed internet connection reporters can conduct research for their stories, type them up on Media House computers and send them to their media organization. The Media House also provides twice-weekly English language training classes – broadening the opportunities for Timorese journalists to conduct research, to produce stories for the English-speaking world and to attend journalism conferences where English is often a requirement.

As the speeches were wrapping up, the mid-morning sun continued to climb higher into the sky, and the temperature and humidity climbed along with it. All the participants found it refreshing to step into the freshly-painted Media House – where the air conditioning brought the temperature down to a comfortable level. There were several “ahs” by guests as they stepped inside to get a look at the space.

Five PC’s are set up, along with a long table where journalists can bring their own laptops and plug into the internet. The Media House also provides stationery, a printer and copier, and much else a journalist might need.

The Dili Media House is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there are often occasions when one or two journalists can be found pounding away at their laptops at 4 o’clock in the morning. The Dili Media House gets, on average, about 80 - 90 journalist visitors per month.

The Media House has actually been operating almost since ICFJ first arrived in Timor-Leste in 2006; however, there had never been an official opening. With the launch of the Dili Media House, ICFJ has now established a network of Regional Media Houses around Timor: the others are located in Suai, Baucau, Ermera and the enclave of Oecusse. Within the next two months, a sixth Media House will be launched in the mountain town of Maubisse, located about three hours south of Dili.

Watch this space!