Journalists Matter, Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists
The Council of Europe encourages member states to transpose the Campaign to the national context. Without each member’s committed and effective effort at national level, through the development of the so-called ‘national chapter’, the Campaign cannot reach its goals.
In this section, we will present developments in Portugal:
National Focal Point
Mr Sérgio GOMES DA SILVA, Director of International Relations and Communication at the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers
National Campaign Committee
In Portugal, the national coordination committee for the implementation of the Campaign has not yet been established. The Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers, under the umbrella of the Minister of the Parliamentary Affairs of the XXIV Constitutional Government, that is responsible for the definition, execution, and coordination of media public policies (“comunicação social”) has started an internal reflection at technical level to prepare an holistic National Plan for the Safety of Journalists, which, will foresee the implementation of initiatives such as the Council of Europe's ‘Journalists Matter’ Campaign.
The project is currently being evaluated at political level by the current Government, which took office on 2nd April 2024. One of the key areas that is being considered at the initial stage is the establishment of an informal working group comprising representatives from government, academia, journalism, and other private actors, including media representatives, to ensure a comprehensive representation of all those involved in the safety of journalists.
Portugal has taken significant steps to ensure the safety and protection of journalists through legislation that offers a wide scope of guarantees. Journalists benefit from legal rules that range from valuing their personal safety to social and labour protection. In the first case, specifically through penal provisions that especially increase the penalties for physical assault and homicide offences. In the same way they can rely on law enforcement cooperation for protection and advice when covering demonstrations and other security risk events; in the second case, through the granting of equal rights to other workers, both in terms of job protection and state support in the event of unemployment. Similarly, journalists have, subject to a few justified exceptions, the right of access to administrative documents, a guarantee of protection of sources and even special road traffic and parking rights to increase the efficiency of their work.
When addressing the security and business sustainability of regional and local media organisations, there are state subsidies to support journalists’ employment and regional/local media outlets’ technological modernisation. This is done through a specific legal framework that rules the funding of approved projects.
There are problems observed mainly concerning journalist’s working conditions, job insecurity and media business sustainability. This is mostly due to the crisis scenario that the media is experiencing, with reduced revenues and disinvestment aggravated by the decline in audiences and advertising sales namely as a result of changes in information consumption habits. Moreover, the country has registered the last months on a slight increase of incidents regarding aggressions or threats to journalists’ integrity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The aim of the course is to contribute to the awareness and training of managers and future managers linked to communication, with a view to deepening their...
Portugal, National chapter
