NEW YORK (TOP) - The Oekusi Post (TOP) has announced it will boycott official White House photo and video material, aligning itself with international news organizations protesting the exclusion of certain outlets from presidential coverage.
The barring of media outlets based on their reporting represents a "troubling signal for press freedom," warning that unequal access to government institutions undermines not just the excluded organizations, but the public's right to diverse, independently verified information.
The move comes after several major US television networks temporarily suspended their pooled coverage of White House events in solidarity with outlets denied access a decision that has already reduced the volume of independently sourced photo and video material documenting the President's public appearances.
Until further notice, TOP will not publish any imagery distributed through the White House's own official channels on either its Tetun or English platforms. Instead, the outlet will rely exclusively on content from events open to accredited press and material captured by its own reporters and camera crews.
The publication framed the decision as part of a broader commitment to media pluralism, describing unrestricted journalistic access as a prerequisite not only for independent reporting but for democratic accountability itself.
By taking this position, TOP a small newsroom reporting from Oe-Cusse Ambeno, Timor-Leste, positions itself within a wider, global pushback against efforts to control the press narrative through selective access, joining outlets far larger than itself in defense of a principle it argues transcends borders and newsroom size.
