The formal involvement of journalists in newsroom decisions has been granted by law since the ‘25 April 1974’ (the revolution that brought democracy to the country). The Constitution states the right of journalists to elect newsroom councils, as well as their right to have a word in the editorial orientation of the news media. The underlying concept is that media activity is not just a business like any other (Kovach & Rosenstiel 2001), only regulated by the supply-and-demand market laws; on the contrary, it deals with a ‘public good’ of great importance for social and political life, nourishing democracy and stimulating citizenship. For this reason, journalists are expected to actively work to guarantee that media meet their social responsibilities. Furthermore, because the media deal with sensitive issues concerning the fundamental rights of citizens, they are supposed to adopt serious principles and standards of ethical behaviour, to which journalists must be specially committed, even when they conflict with management priorities (Fidalgo 2008). The permanent tension of the journalistic field between the “cultural pole” and the “commercial pole” (Bourdieu 2006) – with a clear over-valuation of the commercial dimension in recent times (Garcia 2009) – makes this participation more sensitive.
All news media with a minimum of five journalists must have a newsroom council. And most of them have it (one known exception is the leading radio station Rádio Renascença, another is the free daily Destak), even if their function is sometimes confined to just formal consultations.
The weekly Expresso has a detailed Code of Conduct and the daily Público has a Style Book that goes far beyond the technical standards of news-making. It is an important instrument of accountability, because it is often quoted when readers present their complaints to the newspaper’s ombudsman. There is also a draft of a Style Book with these characteristics in the public television (RTP).
Some democratic control by journalists in the newsrooms still exists. However, the economic and financial problems of the media industry put a great deal of pressure on the newsrooms, which somehow threatens journalists’ jobs and contributes to their demobilization.
