Agence Togolaise de Presse (ATOP) is a news agency based in Lome, the capital city in Togo. It was established in 1975.
Media assets
News agency: ATOP
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
ATOP is owned by the state and subordinated to the Ministry of Communication and Media. The agency’s management is appointed by the government.
Source of funding and budget
ATOP generates some funding from commercialization of its content, but the largest part of its budget comes from the government, according to estimates from local experts.
Editorial independence
There are no provisions obliging ATOP to favor the government, but indirectly, through funding and control of the agency’s management, the government has full control over the editorial coverage of the newspaper.
There is no statute and no oversight or assessment mechanism that would validate ATOP’s editorial independence.
September 2023