JOURNALISTS’ STRIKE REACHES 40 MEDIA OUTLETS IN PORTUGAL​

Note taken from Jornal de Noticias

The national strike of journalists, taking place this Thursday, March 14, in Portugal, has paralyzed one hundred percent four dozens of media outlets, as reported by the Union of Journalists in a statement, in which it guarantees that the stoppage “has also significantly affected another dozen media outlets”

“Antena 1 and TSF have been without news since midnight Thursday. The news management of Agencia Lusa has decided to close the service to its clients. The magazine Visão and the online edition of the daily Público are also silent,” reads the union’s note, which also describes the impact on other news titles.

“At RTP Lisboa the paralysis is almost total in the society section and more than half in politics, economy and culture. At RTP online, six of the seven journalists scheduled to work have joined the strike. On Thursday morning, five outside services were cancelled. The presenter of the midday sports program went on strike and was replaced at the last minute by a colleague from the Porto newsroom. The Lisbon newsroom is staffed mainly by editors and some trainee journalists. RTP Açores has not broadcast its edition of Jornal da Tarde,” reads the statement.

According to the statement, “at TVI/CNN Portugal and SIC/SIC Notícias more than half of the journalists scheduled to work went on strike”.

The Journalists’ Union (SJ) organized this general strike, the first in more than 40 years (the last one was in 1982), against low salaries, precariousness and deteriorating working conditions in the sector.

The JN website is also being affected by the impact of this national strike.

Meanwhile, this Thursday night, in a note published on the website of the Presidency of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa highlighted the “fundamental role of journalism” on the day of the general strike of media professionals. “Where there is no strong media, there is no strong democracy,” said the president, referring to the need for “strong media, with fully known headlines with all transparency, respected and dignified professionals.”

(Note: EFE news agency has indicated in a dispatch that the protest, which was announced weeks ago, comes two days after Global Media, one of the main media groups in the country and which manages the historic Jornal de Notícias, announced a collective dismissal).

————

This article was originally published in Jornal de Noticias.