The television news council today expressed concern over not being consulted on the dismissal of the public television company’s information directorate and the establishment of a new editorial structure, claiming that the process’s legality is compromised.
An RTP official source stated that “there is no illegality.” According to Law No. 27/2007 of July 30, “which approves the Journalists’ Statute, the RTP’s Board of Directors must consult the News Council for a non-binding opinion,” the source recalls.
“In this particular case, this opinion pertains to the dismissal of RTP’s TV information directorate and the appointment of the new DI and will be requested, as always, after the confirmation of the opinion by the competent authority, ERC [Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social],” the source concluded.
According to the statement from the News Council — issued today after an extraordinary meeting of MECR-TV on Tuesday — the decision to dismiss “was communicated without prior consultation” of this body, “in violation of the legal principle” that dictates its “participation in decisions that directly affect the editorial direction and organization of journalistic work.”
Members of RTP’s News Council further state that “they were not involved in defining the new editorial structure and had no prior access to the presented project,” arguing that “this lack of dialogue compromises the trust between the editorial team and the administration.”
They question “what is the editorial vision that the Board of Directors intends to implement,” “what is the reason for the loss of confidence in the outgoing DI in the new project, of which they were part,” and they demand “a detailed presentation of the editorial restructuring project” and the “guarantee of effective participation in all future decisions affecting the editorial line and newsroom operations.”
Vítor Gonçalves, 56, has been appointed the new information director of RTP, replacing António José Teixeira.
The journalist has been with RTP for 33 years, having served as deputy director and Washington correspondent for the public television. He currently hosts the Grande Entrevista program on Wednesdays on RTP3.
The new information director of linear and digital television also oversees RTP3, awaiting the binding opinion of the ERC.
The former information director, António José Teixeira, held the position for more than five years, having been appointed on January 7, 2020.
