For the President and the two Ambassadors, it was their first-ever visit to one of ICFJ’s Regional Media Houses – and they were impressed. When Ximenes described how the media house provides a safe place for journalists to work and at the same time offers an internet café to the entire community, President Jose Ramos-Horta exclaimed: “That's good, you are helping to provide information to the community."

Ximenes demonstrated the fast internet connection by bringing up a http://www.timortoday.com – the online news agency created by ICFJ’s SIMPTL program in March of this year. After watching a video news clip from the website, Horta commented: “This is a wonderful thing that you're doing here for the community and for journalists, and I think that this is an important role that you are playing in the Regional Media House in Baucau."

Several journalists were working at the Media House when the entourage arrived, and they immediately jumped into reporter mode and interviewed the officials. President Horta and Ambassadors Klemm and McIvor spent more than 30 minutes at the Baucau Regional Media House.