The Regulatory Authority for the Media (ERC) today considered that the acquisition of Lusa by the state could be a “very interesting” instrument to support the media, which is weakened.
“I think that, with regard to the possible acquisition of Lusa by the state, not in its entirety yet, but at least partially, it could be one of many other instruments to support the media,” defended the president of the ERC Regulatory Board, Helena Sousa, who was heard today in the parliamentary committee on Culture, Communication, Youth and Sport, at the request of the PCP and BE, on the situation at Global Media Group.
The government announced on November 30 that the process of the state buying 45.7% of the Lusa news agency belonging to Global Media and Páginas Civilizadas had failed due to “a lack of broad political consensus”.
“I think it would be very interesting for Lusa to be an instrument of citizenship, let’s say, a media outlet that could, in some way, make a contribution to the entire media sector, which is extremely fragile,” Helena Sousa stressed.
The ERC warned of a structural problem in the sector and considered that, “from a political point of view, it is high time” for “reflection to ensure that the media responds fully to the needs of citizens”.
“We really need free, transparent, plural media, and in the current context of digitalization, of a lack of business models for the media, I think it’s high time we collectively thought of ways to support it, as long as that support is transparent,” stressed the ERC president.
In the regulator’s view, the Lusa news agency could be one of several instruments that help “quality media” to survive.
“The idea that we will always have quality journalism, investigative journalism, is not at all straightforward. […] This absolutely tragic episode we’re experiencing [at Global Media] is not the first and, unfortunately, it won’t be the last,” lamented the head of the regulator.
The ERC highlighted the lack of resources in the regional press, which it considered “absolutely fundamental for the cohesion of the country and the development of the territory”.
“Lusa, which is a credible, quality source, is used, I would say as a last resort, by those who can’t afford to do investigative journalism that covers the regions, and that’s why we often have regional newspapers essentially with information from Lusa,” said Helena Sousa.