Lisbon, Oct. 9, 2026 (Lusa) - Lusa's deputy directors, Maria de Deus Rodrigues and Nuno Simas, have agreed, at the Board of Directors' request, to take interim management of the agency until 31 October, the newsroom announced on Thursday.
Following the departure of editor-in-chief Luísa Meireles, the two deputy directors said they made this decision out of a «sense of collective responsibility and in response to the needs of the newsroom during this transitional phase».
«We understand this role, for the defined period, in its strictest terms, that is, to take the essential decisions necessary for the functioning of the newsroom and the management of Lusa,» states the communiqué signed by Maria de Deus Rodrigues and Nuno Simas.
Meireles announced on Thursday that she would step down as head of news at the agency after accepting a proposal from the Board of Directors to leave.
«I finished signing my agreement to terminate my employment contract this morning. I will be leaving on 12 October,» stated the news director in a message to the newsroom, explaining that the decision came after the situation had become «unsustainable over time».
She said the News Department had always sought to act as a «bridge and a buffer» between the newsroom and the Board of Directors, adding that, during her eight years in the post, she had always respected journalists' editorial freedom.
She reported that, during the hearing of Lusa's Chair of the Board of Directors, Joaquim Carreira, at parliament on 29 September, she witnessed «a dismissal [...] on air», on the grounds that she would reach «the legal limit for holding this post», as well as a «possible conflict of interest arising from her role as chair of the Professional Journalists' Registration Commission (CCPJ)».
Afterwards, Luísa Meireles sought clarification from the Board of Directors, which, according to the director, proposed that she step down, a proposal she ultimately accepted. «My answer is: I'm leaving. I accept your proposal, and I'm leaving this week,» she stated.
The Board of Directors has since thanked Luísa Meireles and the other members of the management team for their «dedication» and stated that it will announce a new team «shortly».
«The Board of Directors of Lusa thanks Luísa Meireles for her eight years as news director and announced that the parties have reached an agreement on the terms of the termination of her contract, effective 12 October,» reads a statement released moments after she announced her departure in a message to the newsroom.
Stating that «Luísa Meireles, who turns 70 in November, led Lusa's newsroom whilst consistently enjoying the confidence of three Boards of Directors», the Board of Directors considers that she «upheld Lusa's values of independence and rigour».
Among the «projects and initiatives of particular significance» promoted by the editor-in-chief, the board highlighted «the ‘Combating «Fake News»' conference, which led to the creation of the Lusa Verifica service, the Lusa Meetings and the annual debates associated with the Lusa Yearbook».
«We are certain that Luísa Meireles will continue to uphold the values of journalism in her role as chair of the Professional Journalists' Registration Commission (CCPJ), a position she will now hold on a full-time basis. We wish her every success, both personally and professionally,» it adds.
Lusa's board of directors, chaired by Joaquim Carreira and also comprising Ana Alves and Luís Ferreira Lopes, also expressed its gratitude for «the dedication of the news management team, comprising deputy directors Nuno Simas and Maria de Deus Rodrigues».
CT/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
