Lisbon, June 29, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal has retained its 13th position amongst the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) in the European Media Pluralism Index, matching the EU average, with a ‘medium-low risk’ of 49%, according to the Media Pluralism Monitor 2026.
This year, Sweden (26%) topped the index – developed by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom to assess risks to media diversity – followed by Germany (30%), both with a risk level considered “very low”.
Portugal recorded a pluralism index of 49%, placing it between Austria (48%) and Italy (51%), whilst Latvia matched the Portuguese figure.
The study classified Portugal as having a “medium-high” risk in two of the four areas assessed – market diversity and social inclusion – whilst fundamental protection was classified as “medium-low” risk and political independence remained at “low” risk.
In the area of market diversity, the report identified ownership concentration as the sector’s main structural problem, highlighting that “four major operators” (Impresa, Media Capital, Medialivre and RTP) dominate the national market and coexist with many small companies in financial difficulty.
According to the authors, Portuguese legislation has continued to fail to keep pace with developments in media ecosystems, with no general media law in place to set quantitative limits on concentration across different media or in digital markets.
The report also highlighted the media’s growing economic dependence on major digital platforms, which account for the bulk of advertising revenue, and deemed public measures aimed at ensuring the sector’s sustainability to be insufficient.
The report emphasised that the financial situation of the Portuguese media remained difficult in 2025, noting that the Impresa group sought foreign investment, with the entry of the Italian firm MediaForEurope (MFE), whilst the Trust in News group was declared insolvent.
It is also noted that, following the split from the Global Media Group, the publications Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias and TSF continue to show no clear signs of economic recovery, with DN having ceased its weekend print edition.
The authors also highlighted that the journalism profession is facing a situation of “great pressure”, characterised by job insecurity, low wages, increasing reliance on precarious contracts and the financial difficulties faced by media companies – factors which they consider to undermine editorial independence.
The report also referred to warnings from the Commission for the Professional Journalist’s Licence regarding pressure exerted on professionals to produce sponsored content in the form of news items, interviews or features.
In the area of fundamental protection, Portugal remained at a “medium-low” risk, but the document identified several legislative weaknesses, including the continued existence of the offence of defamation in the Penal Code, the lack of legislation against strategic lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists (SLAPP), and protection for whistleblowers that is considered insufficient.
The study also noted that a coherent national strategy to combat disinformation is still lacking and criticised the lack of transparency on the part of digital platforms regarding content moderation practices.
As regards the safety of journalists, the report welcomed the adoption in 2025 of the National Plan for the Safety of Journalists and Other Media Professionals, but points out that Portugal still lacks specific measures to prevent illegal surveillance through technologies such as spyware.
In the assessment of political independence, Portugal retained a low risk rating, underpinned by the existing legal framework, although the report identifies several causes for concern.
Among these, particular attention was drawn to the completion of the process that made the Lusa news agency wholly state-owned and the approval, in January 2026, of new statutes and a new governance model – changes that raised fears of a loss of independence amongst the agency’s journalists.
The document also noted that the replacement of RTP’s news management team in July 2025 took place without prior consultation with the Media Regulatory Authority (ERC), and highlights an increase in political disinformation on social media, including evidence of coordinated behaviour during the parliamentary elections in May 2025.
In terms of social inclusion – considered the most problematic area – the report concluded that gender inequalities persist in content and management positions, whilst more than half of Portugal’s local authorities are already classified as "news deserts", "semi-deserts" or are at risk of becoming so, due to the decline of local and regional journalism.
The researchers added that media literacy remains outside the compulsory curriculum, despite the adoption of the National Plan for Media Literacy 2025–2029, and consider policies on the representation of cultural and linguistic diversity in the media to be insufficient.
The Media Pluralism Monitor is produced annually by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the European University Institute, assessing the risks to media pluralism and freedom in EU member states.
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