Continuities and ruptures in the Portuguese Media System (1974-2024): the return of Polarized Pluralism?

Abstract

The evolution of the media system in Portugal since the Carnation Revolution in 1974 has been marked by political, economic, sociocultural, and technological developments. This article identifies and examines the most significant historical periods and discusses their evolution in light of the framework proposed by Hallin and Mancini (2004) for characterizing the Portuguese media system. Through a diachronic approach, which integrates and updates existing historical periodizations with emerging events and trends from the 21st century, a new periodization is proposed that reflects the historical developments of democratic Portugal up to the media landscape of 2024.

The findings indicate that the evolution over the past 50 years can be delineated into eight distinct historical periods, beginning with the revolution and nationalization (1974 – 1976) and culminating in the era of disinformation and polarization (since 2019). This latter phase exhibits characteristics that raise questions about a possible return of the Polarized Pluralism model in Portugal.

The conclusions highlight the transformative factors of the Portuguese media system, initially defined by political choices made by national governments, which were progressively replaced by the adoption of trends associated with Europeanization and globalization, as well as the need to keep pace with technological progress and digitalization.