Conta Lá launches a special operation for local elections, involving around 100 people across mainland Portugal, utilizing four outdoor vehicles and eight teams.
Over 15 days, 278 debates will be conducted, recorded from September 1 to 16, and aired starting September 5.
“For the first time in the history of Portuguese democracy, we are launching a television channel committed to hearing all candidates from every municipality in mainland Portugal, across all parties represented in the Municipal Assembly,” Ana Sofia Vinhas stated.
A debate is set for each local authority in every municipality of mainland Portugal.
“I can say that on Sunday night, I’ll be heading to the Algarve” for operations in Faro, she expressed, showing her dedication and enthusiasm for storytelling, which is the channel’s foundation.
“A vast team will be on the ground; we will cover all municipalities and hold debates with all candidates,” she continued, mentioning intentions to be in the Algarve, Alto Alentejo, and Baixo Alentejo.
Conta Lá is a television channel available on multiple platforms, including Meo, NOS, and Vodafone Portugal.
Traveling the country “is not just because of the local elections; the country’s essence goes beyond political spheres. The focus is on the people living there, so we’ll always be covering the country [mainland],” the journalist emphasized.
“Conta Lá is created to give a voice to the regions and portray the real country with truth, proximity, and ambition,” asserted Sérgio Figueiredo, CEO of the project.
“We will be a national channel but tell Portugal’s story from every land, accent, and person,” he elaborated.
“We are building a television station of proximity with the power of technology and artificial intelligence—media of the future serving the people,” Sérgio Figueiredo added.
On returning to journalism, Ana Sofia Vinhas highlighted Conta Lá’s embrace of “future journalism, seeking solutions, empathy journalism, immersing fully in the territory—it’s a different storytelling vision.”
“Participating in a budding project is greatly advantageous, offering a different proximity view, infused with inevitable innovation, especially for a channel launching now,” she noted.
“Proximity was what most attracted me to the project,” Ana Sofia Vinhas emphasized.
“We should not only remember the territory when it burns, but continually acknowledge it,” urging the importance of listening to it.
Listening to the territory “is the primary purpose of Conta Lá, a multiplatform to narrate Portugal’s story,” she concluded.
“I strongly believe Conta Lá, this project to Tell Portugal, can emerge as a significant development driver for the country itself,” Ana Sofia Vinhas remarked.
The journalist will be one of the faces of the channel, conducting reports.
Conta Lá is backed by five stakeholders from the north, linked to technology, with Luís Paulino Santos and Luís Fernandes being the main figures.
