«Press freedom is the oxygen of democracy», said, this Thursday, May 16th, Cláudia Maia, president of the Portuguese Press Association (API), in the opening session of the celebrations of the National Press Day taking place at the Fado Museum, in Lisbon.
This person spoke about the challenges facing the press today.
Cláudia Maia defended the need to create financing for newspapers in Portugal, as is already done in many European countries.
The opening session was also attended by Carlos Moedas. The mayor of Lisbon, responding to the phrase “press freedom is the oxygen of democracy”, said by Cláudia Maia minutes before, argued that we all “have to look after it”.
«What took so long to achieve can disappear in an instant. Journalists are true social partners, but it cannot be just journalists fighting for journalism. We all have to be,” she considered.
The mayor sees a «great future for the regional press», especially because journalists, in addition to being «the curators of the truth», are «the historians of the moment», quoting Albert Camus.
Carlos Moedas also spoke about the development of financing, with EGEAC (Cultural Equipment and Entertainment Management Company), «not for newspapers, but for journalists, with an independent jury».
Furthermore, during the celebrations of National Press Day, the Sul Informação will receive the Innovative Project Award from the Portuguese Press Association.
Since 2001, the Portuguese Press Association has celebrated National Press Day annually. «On this day, and together with the main Portuguese press editors, we take stock of what happened during the year, reflect on the sector's concerns and project priorities for the following year», highlights the API.
This year, «the DNI will focus on the current situation in the sector, which is facing one of the most severe crises in recent decades. It is urgent to rethink the press and create sustainable solutions for publishers in the short and medium term».
Therefore, the theme of DNI 2024 will focus on the «challenges of the press and the Portuguese language market».
Over the course of two days, the initiative will feature the participation of various individuals – editors and professionals from various areas, specialists and academics – who are, as API highlights, «part of a solution for the Press sector in Portugal».
The Portuguese Association of Press invites «all interested parties, journalists, communication professionals and the general public to participate in this event that has been held since 2001 as an event recognized by the media sector Press in Portugal".
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