Lisbon, Dec. 16, 2025 (Lusa) - The president of the Regulatory Authority for the Media (ERC) said on Tuesday that the body believes that the crisis in journalism is also a crisis for democracy and that trust is the foundation.
Helena Sousa was speaking at the parliamentary committee on Culture, Communication, Youth and Sport, during the authority's hearing on last year's regulatory reports and activity report.
"I must confess that it gives me great joy to see that all parliamentary groups are very sensitive to this issue of the crisis in journalism and to issues of sustainability," said the president of the media regulatory body.
Because "at the ERC, we also understand that the crisis in journalism is a crisis of democracy, and the crisis of democracy also results from this crisis we are facing," added Helena Sousa, stressing that trust is the basis of social functioning.
"And without quality information, it is very difficult to ensure that citizens communicate well with each other and that institutions can function effectively," emphasised Helena Sousa.
Regarding VASP's press distribution in the interior of the country, the president of the ERC recalled that the Action Plan for Social Communication (PACS) presented over a year ago includes two measures in this area.
Measure 20 of the PACS provides for support for the distribution of periodicals to areas with low population density.
According to the PACS, "the government sees it as its responsibility to ensure access to this service for citizens residing in areas of the territory where the distribution of periodicals has ceased or is at risk of ceasing".
According to the measure, "to remedy this situation, the government, through the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (CCDR), will promote the selection of companies that can ensure the best distribution network for periodicals in the municipalities affected, through public tenders launched within the territorial coverage of these regional bodies, following the rules, regulations and principles established in the Public Contracts Code".
Measure 21 concerns the guarantee of the distribution of periodicals in all municipalities in the country.
At the time, according to the PACS, four municipalities in the country were not receiving periodicals: Alcoutim, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Marvão and Vimioso.
"In accordance with the principle of equality, the government considers it necessary that all citizens have access to these publications.
Therefore, until the entire operation is guaranteed through public tenders, the government has decided to negotiate with Vasp (the only distribution operator in the market) the conclusion of a protocol to ensure that all municipalities in the country have distribution," the document reads.
According to the Action Plan for the Media, "this agreement provides for the government to bear the cost of distributing periodicals in the four municipalities mentioned above, until distribution is fully implemented by the operators that win the tenders."
On 4 December, Vasp's management announced that it was assessing the need to adjust the daily distribution of newspapers in the districts of Beja, Évora, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Viseu, Vila Real and Bragança.
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