Agence Togolaise de Presse (ATOP) is a news agency based in Lome, the capital city of 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. According to information gathered from two local journalists working for ATOP in May 2024, the government appoints the agency’s management.
Source of funding and budget
ATOP generates some funding from selling its content, but the largest part of its budget comes from the government, according to estimates from two local journalists interviewed in May 2024.
Editorial independence
There are no provisions obliging ATOP to favor the government. Still, indirectly, through funding and control of the agency’s management, the government has full control over the agency’s editorial coverage, according to a survey among 10 Togo journalists conducted in February 2024 for this project.
There is no statute and no oversight or assessment mechanism that would validate ATOP’s editorial independence.
July 2024