How can regional journalism be saved?
11 OCT | 15:00

A person holding a camera in a shooting stance, in sepia tone, embodying the world of photojournalism. Design: Napperon © Goethe-Institut

11.10. | 15:00 | Library | This session will be in Portuguese

In just a few years, the so-called “news deserts” have spread across the interior of the country. Dozens of local newspapers and radio stations have closed, financially strangled, listening to political promises of support that never materialized. Internationally, when discussing the importance of journalism as an essential pillar of democracy, local media are the first to be mentioned—but in Portugal, the role of the regional press is undervalued. The difficulties are shared by both historic titles, such as Jornal do Fundão, and new online projects, such as Mediotejo.net. With the digital transition, regional journalism has gained audience and influence, but despite never having had so many readers, it is losing subscribers and advertising investment year after year.

Pedro Jerónimo (LabCom) and Nuno Francisco (Jornal do Fundão) will talk with Patrícia Fonseca (Médio Tejo) about how regional journalism can (still?) be saved.

Speakers

Pedro Jerónimo is a researcher at LabCom, at the University of Beira Interior, where he works in the areas of media and community journalism, disinformation, and media literacy. He holds a PhD in Information and Communication on Digital Platforms from the Universities of Porto and Aveiro. He coordinated MediaTrust.Lab (2021-2025), a project dedicated to strengthening regional media and promoting trust and informed citizenship. He has extensive experience in studying the local information ecosystem in Portugal, which has led to several national and international collaborations. He is the author and co-author of dozens of scientific publications. He was a journalist in the regional press (2003-2013).
Nuno Francisco has been a journalist since 1999 and editor of Jornal do Fundão since 2013. He holds a PhD in Communication Sciences, is a researcher at LabCom, and author of books on communication and journalism. He has created and participated in regional and national forums on development, journalism, and culture, promoting the defense and promotion of the interior of Portugal.
Patrícia Fonseca is currently the editorial director of the regional newspaper Médio Tejo, which she founded in 2015. Voted “Best Regional Media Outlet - Digital Media” at the 2020 Sapo Awards, it has received support in recent years from organizations such as the European Journalism Centre and Google News Initiative. Previously, and for 20 years, she was a journalist for Visão magazine and a special correspondent in several countries (South Africa, Bosnia, USA, Haiti), with a special focus on the Middle East (Israel, Palestine, Lebanon). Her reporting in Gaza in 2009 was considered one of the ten best of the year worldwide in the Bayeux-Calvados Award for War Correspondents. She was also editor of Visão and the Portuguese edition of Courrier International, and today she edits two of her own book imprints: one dedicated to promoting regional authors and themes (Médio Tejo Edições) and the other dedicated to non-fiction themes or long-form reporting (Perspectiva).

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How can regional journalism be saved? 11 OCT | 15:00

Speakers

Pedro Jerónimo

Nuno Francisco

Patrícia Fonseca

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How can regional journalism be saved?
11 OCT | 15:00