Sensacionalismo, crítica política e assassinato de reputação: a imprensa portuguesa perante o governo de João Franco e a monarquia de D. Carlos I (1906-1908)

The purpose of this text is to recount and analyze the particularly dramatic situation of the relationship between power and the press during the government of the regenerator-liberal prime-minister João Franco (1906-1908), a personal bet of king D. Carlos I within the framework of Portuguese politics at the beginning of the 20th century. The partisan logic of this executive, its intended reformist work, the way it broke with the traditional monarchical elite and how it confronted the republican opposition led the press from various quarters to a paroxysm of accusatory language against the king and his advisor. Faced with a much more fragmented public opinion than in previous times, because it was more republicanized, D. Carlos I and the party leaders of his governments were subject to unusual public scrutiny, where language and image (titles and journalistic texts, caricatures and photographs) acted to create an emotional accusatory atmosphere, of sensationalism, political criticism and character assassination, influencing events and the perceived vision of the monarch and rulers, and forcing them into the dilemma of seeking to capture public sympathy, in search of popularity, or reputational defense, in the name of authority.