Portugal

Portugal is widely acknowledged as a secure environment for journalists, having risen in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Journalists’ work is broadly respected, and the media sector holds one of Europe’s highest public trust ratings (RSF, 2024). The country’s strong index performance is underscored by the rarity of documented physical or digital attacks on journalists during the assessment period. Threats like online surveillance, cyber-attacks, and social media harassment remain infrequent, aligning with earlier studies that categorize such risks as negligible or confined to contexts like football-related conflicts (Araújo, 2024; Fidalgo, 2021: 321). Recent research further highlights increasing politically motivated online targeting of investigative journalists, particularly from a radical-right-wing party during election campaigns (Novais, 2022; Novais, 2024: 12–13; RSF, 2024).

Despite robust constitutional and legal safeguards for press freedom, media outlets face persistent pressures. In March 2025, the government introduced the National Safety Plan for Journalists and Other Media Professionals (PNSJ), designed to reinforce societal recognition of journalists’ roles and enhance protections against physical and online threats (Neves, 2024). However, systemic economic issues remain a critical concern. Portugal’s mediocre standing in financial security aligns with a parallel study on journalists’ working conditions, which uncovered pervasive challenges such as inadequate wages, job instability, chronic fatigue, and occupational stress (Neves, 2024). Further research highlights Portuguese journalists’ growing sense of employment insecurity, frustration with stagnant salaries, and restricted prospects for professional growth (Araújo, 2024; Fidalgo, 2021). While surveyed journalists did not explicitly acknowledge emotional or mental health struggles—often dismissing them as occupational norms or manageable stressors—other studies emphasize significant burnout linked to journalistic workloads (Araújo, 2025; Neves, 2024). This latent concern became evident when professionals overwhelmingly endorsed a motion at the 2024 Congress of Portuguese Journalists, advocating for free psychological support systems to address these unspoken pressures.

References:

• Araújo, R. (2024). Who Wants to be a Journalist? Journalists’ Exposure to Violence on the Job. Journalism Practice, 1–15.

• Araújo, R. (2025). Insulted and outraged: How do Portuguese journalists experience precarity. Journalism, 14648849251314786.