Journal papers by Nelson Ribeiro
Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 2022
The article demonstrates how Portugal lacked a true policy of imperial broadcasting which led it ... more The article demonstrates how Portugal lacked a true policy of imperial broadcasting which led it to become dependent on colonial stations for the dissemination of colonialism. The broadcasters established in the Portuguese Empire dedicated significant airtime to the dissemination of Portugal’s colonial mission but also promoted local identities with programming echoing the lifestyle of the colonial elites. Thus, the article argues that while the Portuguese authorities considered the cultural expressions and identities of the white residents in Africa as peripheral, these perceived themselves as part of a new devolved center. This ‘peripheral centre’ gained particular ‘visibility’ on the airwaves.
Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 2022
Communication & Society, 2021
The article analyses the media system in Macao, a special administrative region of China that tra... more The article analyses the media system in Macao, a special administrative region of China that transitioned from Portuguese to Chinese sovereignty in 1999, becoming one of cities in the world with the largest number of published newspapers per capita. Combining historical research with the analysis of contemporary empirical data collected through interviews with journalists working on the ground, the research demonstrates how there is a long tradition of state control that goes back to the colonial era and that has assumed different forms, ranging from outright censorship to physical intimidation of journalists and economic dependence on the government. Limitations and control strategies imposed on news reporting during the Portuguese administration continue to be practiced today by the Chinese authorities. Even so, journalists operating on the Macao media market tend to overstate the level of freedom they are given, which can be attributed to media outlets being economically dependent on the state. Nevertheless, the level of freedom attributed to the press is today higher than it had been during the colonial period with some critical voices being allowed to reach the media. This needs to be understood in the context of what has been defined as the Chinese safety valve strategy.
When “Formerly” Becomes Now: Populism and the Media
Communication, Culture & Critique, 2020
One of the most challenging endeavors for scholars associated with the related fields of communic... more One of the most challenging endeavors for scholars associated with the related fields of communication and media studies is staying abreast of phenomena that are changing more quickly than they can be analyzed. Today’s volatile political environment, as it takes shape in multiple locations around the world, pushes the limits of what can be established reliably and productively as scholarly intervention.
Evidence abounds. Formerly stable democracies embrace strategies and tactics long thought to be allied with authoritarian regimes, while formerly marginalized populations take front stage to articulate long-suppressed experiences of abuse and repression. Formerly reliable institutions conduct themselves in an increasingly erratic and capricious fashion, at the same time as formerly hidden concerns now foster the powerful formation of new centers and sources of public sentiment. Such evidence more than attests to the pressing need for scholars to recognize that “formerly” is the new now.
Its recognition cannot come a moment too soon. Having hidden for too long behind mechanisms that repeatedly earn academic scholarship the labels of outdat- edness, isolation, inscrutability and a sense of general remove, we need to develop additional ways to address the stridencies of the moment. For a field that hinges much of its scholarly identity on the analysis of current issues, problems, events and personalities, this is a necessary beginning for jumpstarting our relevance as a field.
West – East Entanglements During the Cold War: Shortwave Broadcasting and Propaganda from and to Portugal
Media History, 2020
Portugal became the centre of an entangled airwaves ensemble during the Cold War. In order to dem... more Portugal became the centre of an entangled airwaves ensemble during the Cold War. In order to demonstrate this, the article develops along two lines. First, it details how the Portuguese dictatorship, with ideological connections to fascism, allowed the construction in its territory of one of the most powerful retransmitters of Radio Free Europe (RFE), responsible for airing anti-communist propaganda to Eastern Europe. The collaboration between the Portuguese dictator and the National Committee for Free Europe, mediated by US diplomatic officials, played an important role in the development of the operations of RFE in the country. Second, the article demonstrates how Portugal became the target of shortwave broadcasts operated from abroad, aimed at spreading pro-communist and anti-fascist sentiments in Portuguese society. Some of these stations were established by the political opposition that used the airwaves to undermine the dictatorship.
Observatório, 2017
Nos últimos anos, a produção de conteúdos para múltiplas plataformas passou a ser uma realidade ... more Nos últimos anos, a produção de conteúdos para múltiplas plataformas passou a ser uma realidade na maioria das redações, estabelecendo novos métodos e práticas de trabalho. No presente artigo, procura-se perceber como esta modernização está a ser operacionalizada nas redações de imprensa portuguesa, focando as alterações verificadas nas rotinas de produção e o modo como os jornalistas se adaptam a estas mesmas transformações. A investigação pretendeu compreender qual a perceção da comunidade jornalística sobre as mudanças em curso e o modo como estas estão a ser incorporadas no seu trabalho diário. Através da aplicação de um inquérito por questionário foram inquiridos diretores e editores da imprensa generalista e especializada de âmbito nacional e regional com o intuito de compreender o modo como estes avaliam as práticas de jornalismo convergente no interior das redações. Os resultados mostram que continua a existir uma maior valorização da edição impressa por comparação com as edições produzidas para suportes digitais. Porém, é já evidente o relevo de novas rotinas e práticas editoriais, bem como o encorajamento que é feito junto dos jornalistas para aderirem a novos hábitos relacionados com o jornalismo de convergência.
In the final phase of the Second World War, António Pedro became one of the most emblematic voice... more In the final phase of the Second World War, António Pedro became one of the most emblematic voices of the BBC's Portuguese Section, mainly due to his " Monday Chronicles " in which he presented his views on British society along with comments on military and geopolitical developments occurring at that time. He achieved a high level of popularity among listeners in Portugal during the almost two years he was a regular on the microphones, i.e. between January 1944 and October 1945. His chronicles were considered the most important programme of a political nature in the broadcasts to Portugal. Part of this success was due to Pedro himself, his style of writing and way of talking at the microphone, but it is also important to remember that broadcasts from London in Portuguese, which had begun in June 1939, achieved great success right from the start of the Second World War because they were the main source of information on the developments in the conflict. The number of BBC listeners increased even more after the opening of the Eastern Front, which coincided with a tightening of censorship in Portugal and the consequent omission of news in the national media about Russian military advances. This obviously generated greater interest in listening to foreign broadcasts, especially the Voice of London, the station that had the greatest impact in Portugal during the war. António Pedro joining the BBC marked a change in the editorial line of the Portuguese Section, and he contributed decisively to familiarising Portuguese listeners with words like " democracy ". It is however undeniable that the success of the broadcasts he made from London can only be truly understood in the context of the role played by the BBC in Portugal during the Second World War. The present article relies on document research conducted in archives located in Portugal and the UK. Due to the absence of recordings from the BBC Portuguese Service, the quotes from Pedro's " Monday Chronicles " , with the sole exception of the texts that were censored and that can be found at the BBC Written Archives, were taken from the manuscripts the author himself prepared for publication after the war and that are held at the Portuguese National Library.
Convergence Culture in European Newsrooms. Comparing editorial strategies for cross-media news production in six countries
For two decades, convergence culture has been an important motivator for change in journalism wor... more For two decades, convergence culture has been an important motivator for change in journalism worldwide. Journalism research has followed these developments, investigating the dimensions of change that define convergence as a cultural shift in the newsroom. Research in the European context has mostly been comprised of national case studies of flagship media outlets whereas comparative, let alone quantitative, studies are scarce. In response to these shortcomings, we present a comparative survey among newspaper journalists in managerial positions on convergence strategies in newsrooms from Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, and Portugal.
Results show that there is still a dominant print culture present in newsrooms across Europe; however, a shift toward convergence journalism is evident in the strategic implementation of editorial routines and practices as well as in the encouragement of journalists to join convergence developments. Furthermore, newsrooms in Mediterranean countries are more advanced than those in North/Central Europe when it comes to embracing convergence culture because of a stronger audio-visual than print news tradition and a higher motivation among journalists. Our study reveals that after two decades of European convergence journalism, cultural change moves slowly but steadily toward a news production that makes use of the possibilities emerging from convergence.
BBC Portuguese Service during World War II: Praising Salazar while defending the Allies
This article analyses the editorial line of the BBC Portuguese Service during World War II, prese... more This article analyses the editorial line of the BBC Portuguese Service during World War II, presenting evidence of how the output of the broadcasts was influenced by the need of the Foreign Office to maintain a good relationship with the authoritarian regime led by Oliveira Salazar. Focusing on the internal guidelines that ruled the Service, this history demonstrates how Portuguese language broadcasts never threatened the survival of the regime that ruled in Portugal, despite the fact that towards the end of the war the station was used as a weapon to pressure Salazar to give in to British demands, namely to end exports of tungsten to Germany. A discussion is presented on the difficult task the Portuguese Service had to accomplish throughout the war: to praise a dictatorship while promoting British views on the war.
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Journal papers by Nelson Ribeiro
Evidence abounds. Formerly stable democracies embrace strategies and tactics long thought to be allied with authoritarian regimes, while formerly marginalized populations take front stage to articulate long-suppressed experiences of abuse and repression. Formerly reliable institutions conduct themselves in an increasingly erratic and capricious fashion, at the same time as formerly hidden concerns now foster the powerful formation of new centers and sources of public sentiment. Such evidence more than attests to the pressing need for scholars to recognize that “formerly” is the new now.
Its recognition cannot come a moment too soon. Having hidden for too long behind mechanisms that repeatedly earn academic scholarship the labels of outdat- edness, isolation, inscrutability and a sense of general remove, we need to develop additional ways to address the stridencies of the moment. For a field that hinges much of its scholarly identity on the analysis of current issues, problems, events and personalities, this is a necessary beginning for jumpstarting our relevance as a field.
Results show that there is still a dominant print culture present in newsrooms across Europe; however, a shift toward convergence journalism is evident in the strategic implementation of editorial routines and practices as well as in the encouragement of journalists to join convergence developments. Furthermore, newsrooms in Mediterranean countries are more advanced than those in North/Central Europe when it comes to embracing convergence culture because of a stronger audio-visual than print news tradition and a higher motivation among journalists. Our study reveals that after two decades of European convergence journalism, cultural change moves slowly but steadily toward a news production that makes use of the possibilities emerging from convergence.