Covid-19 e a cobertura da presidência portuguesa do Conselho da União Europeia

Abstract

The notion that the Covid-19 pandemic has imposed a panoply of constraints on the daily work of journalists is not new. However, the fact that this period coincided with the first half of 2021, during which the fourth Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union took place, gives this research relevance. Using a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews with six journalists who covered the major political event of the semester, the Social Summit in Porto, we sought to understand, based on their experiences,
how they felt about carrying out their work in an unprecedented pandemic context. Considering the rotating presidencies of the European Union represent not only a moment of relevance for the national, but also European and even international spectrum, it is important to understand where media actors positioned themselves in a circumstance that forced them to rethink contact with sources, in this case political sources, and the adjacent democratic objectives. The interviewed journalists admit to constraints in the technology adopted, namely because it leads to a lack of response from the other side. At the same time, they recognize some future uses. Even so, face-to-face reporting is still essential to help convey a clearer message, particularly when it comes to European issues, the complexity of which requires greater care.

Date of Award	5 Jan 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rita Figueiras (Supervisor)