The departure of António José Teixeira from the leadership of the public broadcaster and the appointment of Vítor Gonçalves to the position have sparked controversy as unions claim the newsroom council was not consulted, a requirement under the Journalist Statute (article 13) and the Television Law (article 35).
“It is regrettable that the RTP Board of Directors has so clearly violated its legal obligations,” unions stated in a joint communiqué, following the newsroom council’s complaint that it had not been consulted on the process, which it believes “compromises the legality” of the process.
In response to a query, an official RTP source stated that “there is no illegality.” The Television Law No. 27/2007 of July 30, which approves the Journalist Statute, mandates that the RTP Board of Directors consult the newsroom council for a non-binding opinion, reiterates the source.
For SJ and STT, excluding the newsroom council from the process represents a serious setback in safeguarding editorial independence and a concerning sign of devaluing journalists’ participation in shaping the informational direction.
The RTP newsroom council reported today that it was not consulted about the dismissal of the public television company’s management and the establishment of the new editorial structure, deeming this oversight a threat to the process’s legality.
Lusa | 12:59 – 25/06/2025
“The right to participation by the newsrooms is an essential safeguard against political and economic interference in journalistic activity,” they stress, arguing that newsrooms should have the power to “think, influence, and critique editorial policies,” including having a say in who is responsible for information.
“The right of journalists to participate in the editorial direction of their media outlet is a fundamental defense against political and economic interference in journalistic work,” they emphasize, maintaining that “newsrooms must have the power to think, influence, and critique editorial policies,” including having a voice concerning those accountable for information.
“There can be no free organs without newsrooms determining their coverage,” they reinforce.
The unions also demand that RTP workers be heard in the restructuring of the company’s directorates, emphasizing their expectation that the public service would set a positive example in respecting protections for editorial autonomy in newsrooms.
“We do not live in times when authoritarianism can be tolerated in media management,” they assert, concluding that it is increasingly urgent to grant newsroom councils binding powers of intervention to defend the editorial independence of newsrooms.
