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Portugal's press: dailies, weeklies and radio
In Portugal, news is read in Portuguese in dailies such as Público, Jornal de Notícias and Correio da Manhã, in the weekly Expresso, on Observador, through the Lusa agency and on RTP, with most of this content available online.
Before and after 25 April 1974
Diário de Notícias first appeared in Lisbon in 1864 and Jornal de Notícias in Porto in 1888. Under the Estado Novo, prior censorship weighed on every newsroom; the Carnation Revolution of April 1974 opened the era of a free press.
Público, Expresso, Correio da Manhã: which editorial lines?
Público, founded in 1990, favours analysis and culture. The weekly Expresso, created in 1973 by Francisco Pinto Balsemão, is a political reference. Correio da Manhã, a popular daily, concentrates on crime stories and the courts, with a broad readership.
A Portuguese-language press read across the Lusophone world
Portuguese is the language of almost every outlet; Mirandese, recognised in 1999, remains marginal. Lisbon titles are read in Brazil, Angola and Mozambique, and readers can compare them with the Brazilian press.
Porto, Coimbra, the Azores and Madeira
Jornal de Notícias remains the leading daily of the North, based in Porto. Diário de Coimbra covers the Centre, while Açoriano Oriental, founded in 1835 in Ponta Delgada, and Diário de Notícias da Madeira inform the autonomous regions.
Observador and ECO, born on the web
Observador, launched in 2014, is a digital-only outlet with a liberal tone and its own radio station. ECO, which appeared in 2016, is devoted to business. Both offer mobile apps and newsletters, as do Público and Expresso.
Lusa, the Lisbon news agency
The Lusa agency, mostly publicly owned, supplies the reference wire copy in Portugal and the Lusophone countries. Its correspondents in Luanda, Maputo and Bissau make it a valuable source on Africa, best cross-checked with the African press.
How to listen to RTP and Antena 1 online?
RTP, the public group, brings together RTP1, the news channel RTP3, RTP Internacional and RTP África. Antena 1 radio and the RTP Play platform stream live. SIC, TVI and CNN Portugal make up the private side of television news.
The Portuguese of France and Luxembourg
The diaspora is large in France, Switzerland and Luxembourg. LusoJornal follows the communities in France, and Contacto serves Portuguese speakers in the Grand Duchy, alongside the Luxembourg press. RTP Internacional also connects these families with home.
Football and business: A Bola, Record, Negócios
Three sports dailies share the readers: A Bola and Record in Lisbon and O Jogo in Porto, with constant attention to Benfica, Sporting and FC Porto. Jornal de Negócios and ECO cover the Lisbon stock exchange and companies.
A legal framework rooted in the 1976 Constitution
The 1976 Constitution guarantees press freedom and bans censorship. The Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social, or ERC, has supervised the media since 2005. The financial fragility of newsrooms and the concentration of groups fuel the debate.
Verifying a story from Portugal
To check a rumour, the journalists at Polígrafo publish regular fact-checks. Comparing the Lusa version with those of Público or Observador, and consulting the official websites of the Lisbon government, reduces the risk of error considerably.
Reading behind Lisbon's paywalls
Expresso, Público and Observador keep part of their content for subscribers. Correio da Manhã and Jornal de Notícias also sell paid digital editions. Trial offers let you test a title before committing to it for the longer term.
Following the Portuguese press from abroad
- Choose a national daily such as Público or Jornal de Notícias and add the digital outlet Observador.
- Follow the Lusa wire for official government announcements and news from the Portuguese-speaking countries.
- Listen to Antena 1 or watch RTP3 live on the RTP Play platform.
- Read the weekly Expresso at the weekend for political analysis and in-depth investigations.
- Compare a sensitive story in a popular title and in a reference title to spot differences in treatment.
- Check the publication date and source before sharing, especially rumours spread through messaging apps.
Portuguese media: what is free and what is paid
| Type of outlet | Access | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Free news site | Free | Funded by advertising, short articles |
| Daily or weekly (Público, Expresso) | Paid subscription, price varies | A few open articles each month |
| Public group RTP (RTP Play, Antena 1) | Free online | Some sports broadcasts blocked outside Portugal |
| Digital newsstand and e-paper | Paid subscription, price varies | Reproduction of the print edition |
| Lusa agency | Wire copy partly public | Full service reserved for subscribing media |
Landmarks in the Portuguese media
- Language: European Portuguese, with some spelling and vocabulary differences from Brazil
- News agency: Lusa
- Public broadcaster: RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)
- Reference: Público and Expresso; business: Jornal de Negócios; sport: A Bola and Record
- Time zone: Lisbon time, one hour behind Paris; one more hour behind in the Azores
- Subscription currency: euro (EUR)
Common pitfalls with Portuguese news
- Confusing a Brazilian outlet with a Portuguese one: the vocabulary differs and the political news is not the same.
- Taking the catchy headlines of a popular daily as confirmed news without waiting for other newsrooms to report.
- Sharing old images of forest fires presented as recent on social media every summer.
- Visiting sites that copy paywalled Expresso or Público articles, which are often incomplete or altered.
- Forgetting that some RTP Play videos cannot be viewed outside Portugal for rights reasons.
Frequent questions about newspapers in Portugal
Which Portuguese newspaper should you read for politics?
Expresso, published weekly, and the daily Público are often cited for their political analysis. Observador offers a liberal-leaning reading. For breaking news, the Lusa wire and the RTP3 channel remain the fastest sources available.
Can you watch Portuguese television from France?
RTP Internacional is carried by several operators in France, and RTP Play streams some programmes online. The private channels SIC and TVI often require a specific subscription, and football is frequently blocked outside Portuguese territory.
What is the oldest Portuguese newspaper still in print?
Açoriano Oriental, founded in 1835 in Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, is regularly described as the oldest Portuguese newspaper still running. It covers the archipelago's news and its ties with the diaspora.
Do Portuguese newspapers publish in French?
No, they appear in Portuguese. However, LusoJornal, published in France, runs content in both Portuguese and French for the community of Portuguese descent. Browser machine translation works well on most Portuguese sites.