In the country of Portugal, the impact that digital technologies has is great and has made the country more modern. The internet has made information and current events more popular and more successful because of the access of information. The bailout situation in Portugal is a prime example of this. People all over country and world have heard about this through the means of global media.
In one of my earlier posts, they had reactions of a family in the countryside where 20 years ago you would only be able to access them through a one-on-one interview. Through the means of global media (YouTube) I was able to capture their reaction and how they felt about their financial crisis.
People have been able to stay connected with each other throughout the country through various means on communication. The use of mobile phones has allowed for people in the main land of Portugal to keep in touch with those in the Azores and people throughout the world. The ease of access is the main impact of the increase of technology in the country of Portugal.
With the increased internet and mobile phone use, the amount of information that is available is much greater than the more traditional newspapers. The mainland of Portugal has a more increased use of the Internet and mobile phones than the Azores because the demographic of the Azores is much different. They stick to more traditional means of information.
The Internet and computer technology has impacted global news media greatly throughout the years. There are both pros and cons in this subject. The main pro is that the amount of information is easily exposed and very easy to get a hold of with the growth and expansion of the Internet and computer technology. The main con is that the quality of the information can be greatly diluted and the valididty of the information remains a big question.
Pros, like I said earlier, mainly consist of the amount of information available and how easy it is to have access to that information. With the amount of information available people can become more educated about what is going on locally and globally. Take for example, Al Jazeera it has provided a new perspective of information and gives people in the United States access to something that would be quite difficult to view. Social media and the Internet has successfully been proven to change a whole country i.e. Egypt. The Internet has allowed people to be conscious about what is going on in the world by one click of a button. With news and newscasts broadcasted over the Internet allows people to see what is going on in a particular country without even setting foot inside the country. For example I was able to view the biggest news cast in Portugal, RTP, over the Internet for free.
In general the benefits of the Internet and computer technology has allowed people from far away to gain access to the world's news. Skype allows for people to chat from anywhere in the world and right there another perspective of news/newsworthy information is easily accessible. With the growing number of sources of news, the amount of information is greatly increasing. Cons are also present and are very much related to the pros.
The main problems of the Internet is the validity of the information is being questioned mainly because anyone can post something and it be considered news (Wikipedia). I always hear, "You cant believe everything you read on the Internet." That is true because you have to search and search through credible news sources to find the correct information. Throughout the semester I found myself checking three or four sources just to make sure that the information lined up and was credible. The Internet is also making newspapers a thing of the past. Laptops and mobile devices are also contributing to the cause because the mobility and ease of which someone can read something online is getting easier and easier. In conclusion, you cannot look on one website and find the right details about something without checking another source.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Portugal Bailout Deal Coming Soon?
EU officials predict the Portuguese bailout deal will be finalized within the next few days. The source wishes to be anonymous because the deal is not yet done. He stated that officials were in Lisbon discussing details about the deal.
Officials from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are currently in Lisbon finalizing the agreement for the bailout of the Portuguese government. They are close to agreeing on the fiscal and economic adjustment program that will accompany the rescue loans.
Since the resignation of Prime Minister Jose Socrates caused some chaos inside the government, the deal must be approved by the major political parties. Polls indicate that most parties would accept the bailout in the name of the country and its citizens.
A key factor playing into the success of the bailout is the Finnish government. The newly elected True Finn party is extremely anti-euro union and skeptical of the European Union. With negotiations still under way in Helsinki, and the True Fins likely to form part of a new government, doubts have grown that Finland will be able to endorse the bailout by mid-May, as was originally planned.
Officials from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are currently in Lisbon finalizing the agreement for the bailout of the Portuguese government. They are close to agreeing on the fiscal and economic adjustment program that will accompany the rescue loans.
Portuguese newspapers expected the deal to be done by Wednesday but the official mentioned earlier said that he wasn't "optimistic" that it will happen by then. This deal has not been widely accepted by most not only inside but outside the country as well.
Since the resignation of Prime Minister Jose Socrates caused some chaos inside the government, the deal must be approved by the major political parties. Polls indicate that most parties would accept the bailout in the name of the country and its citizens.A key factor playing into the success of the bailout is the Finnish government. The newly elected True Finn party is extremely anti-euro union and skeptical of the European Union. With negotiations still under way in Helsinki, and the True Fins likely to form part of a new government, doubts have grown that Finland will be able to endorse the bailout by mid-May, as was originally planned.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Bailout Talks Begin
Portugal began talks with international authorities on Monday about the details regarding its bailout. Officials from the IMF held a meeting with Portugal's Financial Minister, Fernando Teixeira dos Santos in Lisbon on Monday. According to BBC News, the yields on benchmark government bonds are the highest since its introduction in 1999.
Officials say terms of the deal would be agreed upon by mid-May. They plan to have the talks finished by June because the election is set to take place in June. They hope to have the details worked out so the new government in power is able to focus on the bailout details. The Portuguese elections are not the only elections that matter during this time.
Currently Finland is having their elections and the Portuguese fate could depend on that. The True Finn Party has openly stated that they are anti-euro union and oppose the suggested bailout for Portugal. The significance of these elections is great. For the bailout to pass there must be an unanimous decision between the European countries. They would the decision by its countries to gain access to the 440 billion Euros to use for the bailout.
Back to Portugal, BBC's reporter Allison Roberts is in Lisbon covering the meeting. She stated that the opposition to the nation's ex-lead party has agreed and will back the decision for a bailout. She says its not the government that is not vocal, its the public (workers and citizens). They have become more vocal about their home country's situation simply because jobs have been lost and debts keep piling up.
I believe that the bailout deal needs to happen as soon as possible for the country to stay on its feet. The circumstances in which the bailout would cover are starting to get worse. Public unrest is starting to rise and if the government doesn't put the public's interest first, it might get worse.
I had no idea that the Finnish elections would have such an impact on Portugal's fate. I had no idea that without an unanimous decision it couldn't happen. What I would like to know is if they don't agree, what would happen next. I knew that Finland can be pretty cold but not cold hearted.
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Portuguese Baliout
A monumental push towards Portugal's bailout took place on Wednesday. Opposition parties in Portugal offered its support of the European Union bailout. They will offer any support necessary so that the government receives the bailout it is asking for.
"Conscious of the seriousness of the situation, the PSD will not hesitate in offering all the help it can so that the programme for assistance can be met," PSD leader Pedro Passos Coelho told reporters after meeting caretaker Prime Minister Jose Socrates.
According to HeraldScotland.com, the full details of the bailout should be disclosed by mid-May so the new government has guidelines to work with. Reuters reported that nationalism by all parties is necessary for the bailout to work. Elections for the new government take place on June 5, and the new "lead" party must be met with new austerity measures and follow the strict limitations of the loan details. It seems as though support from other parties has been taking place.
With multi-party support of the bailout there are still a few people or parties that don't agree with it. The Left Bloc and the Communist Party are the two parties that oppose the European Union bailout. "We insist that the decision of the Portuguese (at the election) is not a plebiscite to surrender to a solution which implies the destruction of the Portuguese economy," said Francisco Louca, head of the small Left Bloc party.
I believe that all the parties involved must put their political differences aside to do what is best for the country and not for themselves. There must be a cross-party agreement so that the transition from debt to non-debt is quick and painless.
"Conscious of the seriousness of the situation, the PSD will not hesitate in offering all the help it can so that the programme for assistance can be met," PSD leader Pedro Passos Coelho told reporters after meeting caretaker Prime Minister Jose Socrates.According to HeraldScotland.com, the full details of the bailout should be disclosed by mid-May so the new government has guidelines to work with. Reuters reported that nationalism by all parties is necessary for the bailout to work. Elections for the new government take place on June 5, and the new "lead" party must be met with new austerity measures and follow the strict limitations of the loan details. It seems as though support from other parties has been taking place.
With multi-party support of the bailout there are still a few people or parties that don't agree with it. The Left Bloc and the Communist Party are the two parties that oppose the European Union bailout. "We insist that the decision of the Portuguese (at the election) is not a plebiscite to surrender to a solution which implies the destruction of the Portuguese economy," said Francisco Louca, head of the small Left Bloc party.
I believe that all the parties involved must put their political differences aside to do what is best for the country and not for themselves. There must be a cross-party agreement so that the transition from debt to non-debt is quick and painless.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Portugal's International Coverage
Portugal does have international coverage and doesn't just focus on it's internal affairs. I was able to find an online newspaper that does cover international news in depth. The name of the newspaper is Diario de Noticias and covers both international and national news. For television, RTP usually covers the international news with a program specialized for it.
The previous website I mentioned contained stories from all over the world, including Libya, Ivory Coast, and Japan. I asked my grandmother about the coverage RTP gives and she said that RTP gives about 45 minutes dedicated to international news.
Overall, they seem to be very informed about news that happens globally and not just locally. With news about the bailout, I believe that Portugal will have to be aware of what happens in other countries in response to Portugal's request for the bailout. Also, I believe that Portual will have to inform the European Union about the details of the bailout. The European nations are going to want to know how its going to effect not only Portual but their countries as well. Their national news that is broadcasted out to other countries such as Spain, is going to have to be very detailed.
Here are some links to which you can view the news and link to RTP. If you would like to view the pages in English simply right click and hit translate..this is for PC's I'm not too sure about Macs.
RTP International
Diario de Noticias
The previous website I mentioned contained stories from all over the world, including Libya, Ivory Coast, and Japan. I asked my grandmother about the coverage RTP gives and she said that RTP gives about 45 minutes dedicated to international news.
Overall, they seem to be very informed about news that happens globally and not just locally. With news about the bailout, I believe that Portugal will have to be aware of what happens in other countries in response to Portugal's request for the bailout. Also, I believe that Portual will have to inform the European Union about the details of the bailout. The European nations are going to want to know how its going to effect not only Portual but their countries as well. Their national news that is broadcasted out to other countries such as Spain, is going to have to be very detailed.
Here are some links to which you can view the news and link to RTP. If you would like to view the pages in English simply right click and hit translate..this is for PC's I'm not too sure about Macs.
RTP International
Diario de Noticias
Friday, April 8, 2011
Portugal Asks For Bailout
Portugal asked the European Union on Wednesday for an emergency bailout. Portual's Prime Minister, Jose Socrates, asked the European Union after recognizing that borrowing costs had become unsustainable. "I had alwa
ys considered outside as as a last recourse scenario, he said.
But the time has come to seek outside help for a country who is experiencing an all time high in debt and unemployment. According to the New York Times, its likely that it contracts 1.3 percent this year, this is also according to the Bank of Portugal
The bailout would help Portugal rebound from debt, unemployment, and civilian unrest. The baliout would have to be about 75 billion euros ($106.7 billion US dollars). According the the New York Times, the yields on Portuguese government debt are its highest since the introduction of the euro to the country. Mr. Socrates stated, " This is a particularly serious situation for our country."
ys considered outside as as a last recourse scenario, he said. But the time has come to seek outside help for a country who is experiencing an all time high in debt and unemployment. According to the New York Times, its likely that it contracts 1.3 percent this year, this is also according to the Bank of Portugal
The bailout would help Portugal rebound from debt, unemployment, and civilian unrest. The baliout would have to be about 75 billion euros ($106.7 billion US dollars). According the the New York Times, the yields on Portuguese government debt are its highest since the introduction of the euro to the country. Mr. Socrates stated, " This is a particularly serious situation for our country."
The request will be processed in normal procedure and no special actions will be taken to speed up the process. This event is so sudden that it even suprised the European officials that are currently meeting in Brussels. The Finance Minister, Fernando Teixeira, said, "In this difficult situation, which could have been avoided, I understand that it is necessary to resort to the financing mechanisms available within the European framework."
If the bailout were to be processed and accepted Portual would join Greece and Ireland as the only European countries to have been bailed out. Portual has the weakest and smallest economies in the 17-nation union.
You can't really blame Mr. Socrates, who ironically resigned on March 23, for asking the European Union for help. He has been in office with almost no support from the citizens of his country and would not want to be portrayed as the scapegoat for its problems. At least he is trying to fix things while he can.
A new government is set to be decided in June but until then the government is in a serious bind and limbo. He lacks support from others within and outside the country because he has already resigned and no other party in Portual seems to know how to fix the problem.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Portugals Prime Minister No More
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates resigned Wednesday. He resigned to because parliament rejected his bid for his government's latest austerity measures aimed at avoiding a bailout.
His resignation throws the Portuguese political system into chaos after a failed attempt of avoiding a bailout. The growing concerns were that similar to Greece and Ireland; the other two countries in Europe to have recieved a bailout. This leaves his government in control during the summit in Brussels over the European bailout.
The main opposition Social Democrats, who have previously backed austerity, said they want an election, hoping that the center-right party's lead in opinion polls will bring it to power.
This is all the result of the parliment rejected Socrates' latest austerity measures. All opposition parties voted against the measures in the 230-seat parliament, where the Socialists have 97 seats.
"The prospect of a bailout has risen drastically and is now enormous," said Filipe Garcia, head of Informacao de Mercados Financeiros consultants in Porto.
His resignation throws the Portuguese political system into chaos after a failed attempt of avoiding a bailout. The growing concerns were that similar to Greece and Ireland; the other two countries in Europe to have recieved a bailout. This leaves his government in control during the summit in Brussels over the European bailout.
The main opposition Social Democrats, who have previously backed austerity, said they want an election, hoping that the center-right party's lead in opinion polls will bring it to power.
This is all the result of the parliment rejected Socrates' latest austerity measures. All opposition parties voted against the measures in the 230-seat parliament, where the Socialists have 97 seats.
"The prospect of a bailout has risen drastically and is now enormous," said Filipe Garcia, head of Informacao de Mercados Financeiros consultants in Porto.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Media Philosophy and Freedom
The media freedom in Portugal is probably falls under the area between the libertarian and social responsibility philosophies. I believe it falls between the two because aspects of both philosophies reflect the media freedom in the country. Most of the media is free of state control but not all is controlled and it is there to create a "checks and balances" for the government but at the same time provides many opinions and opens debate up to the public opinion. It is there to entertain the public and sell to the public, but is also there to inform its citizens of what is going on. The news does contain entertainment (mostly soccer or futbol depending on where your from) but also does contain news concerning economic and political arenas.
Freedom in the media is generated from the freedoms granted in the Constitution for Portugal. It is very similar to the Constitution of the United States in regards to the basic freedoms it provides. Freedom of speech, religion, to organize, and collectively bargain. There are certain restrictions mainly regarding the religion aspect. For example, according to FreedomHouse.org, a "religion" cannot be openly practiced unless it has been established in the country for at least 30 years. With a new and shifting media, the Internet is rarely restricted. The only time such technology (computers) are restricted is when the government asks to confiscate them for sources.
The latest incident occurred in August of 2010 when privacy and reporting came together. This case resulted in the fine of 1.5 million Euros on Lisbon Weekly. Publication of the transcripts of phone tapping operations is often a matter of great public interest and is one of the cornerstones of investigative journalism. To read the full article you can click on this link, Judicial Harassment Case. Another reported incident was in 2006 when a court rejected an appeal by a couple of journalists to keep their computers protecting their right to their sources. According to Reporters Without Borders, a reporter was sentenced to an 11-month suspension for not revealing his sources in a drug case. These examples show that reporters are free to report but revealing sources seems to be a big issue. Side Note:
World Audit.org also has ranked the "freedom of media" in the countries in the world. Lower scores on this website are better than higher numbers. Regarding press freedom, Portugal is ranked 10 and democracy rating is 18. Having a score from 1-30 is seen as being a more "free" media. The link I am going to give you has the country's world democracy audit, press freedom, corruption, civil liberties, and political rights ratings. World Audit Ratings-Portugal
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
News in the Country
Crime During Carnival
PSP reported three deaths and an array of illegal substances during Carnival. During the yearly celebration of Carnival, the PSP captured a total of 15 guns and thousand of doses of drugs. The capturing of these materials is accompanied by the arrest of 265 citizens. There was a total of 875 crimes reported during the two-day celebration, an increase from the 367 from last year.
Arrests were made for crimes ranging from drug and weapon possession to assault to theft. A wide range of arrests were made but with the amount of people, lack of officers, and amount of crimes reported there wasn't enough PSP members to catch most of the offenders.The PSP also confiscated high amounts of drugs during the festivities. Most of the substances found were cocaine and ecstasy. The total doses of drugs found according to the PSP, was approximately 14 thousand doses. (The measurement is lost in translation, it only mentioned doses)
Money, Money, Money
Portugal announced on Tuesday that it will be spending a big portion of its money on the public transportation sector. The estimated amount of spending is supposed to be about 12 billion Euros over the next four years into 2015. This was all stated by minister of public works, transportation, and communication Antonio Mendonca.
"This year if we add all the investments in the ports, airports, highway and railway sectors on a horizon extending to 2015, (the total sum) points to 12 billion Euros," Antonio Mendonca stated. The 12 billion Euros would be extended into all parts of the public transportation projects such as REFER, the railways, and a majority going to the airports and airport systems.
This video was put on the web on March 4, 2011 but a day later the story above comes about. Is Portugal really in debt or trying to find a solution for debt OR are they predicting a debt crisis but trying to invest in the infrastructure before its too late?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN_pfsDueXc
Friday, March 4, 2011
Traditional Areas in Portugal
When asked about the traditional areas in Portugal I was a little confused as to what "traditional areas" were. Since I have Portuguese blood in my viens, I went to my grandma for a little help along with the Internet. Now doing a little bit of research, I found out that most of the traditional areas found in Portugal are related to some sort of celebration or "festa". These celebrations are then tied back to religious ties which date back to the history of the country. Most of these traditional areas can be found on the set of islands called the Azores. These celebrations are quite popular, at least it seems like, because I know and hear from people that go back to the country just for those reasons alone. My mom's side of the family is from the Azores and routinely go back to take part in the celebrations and go to the "traditional areas" in which they are held.
Ill just explain just a few of the places where they celebrate these events. Now these events usually occur in an entire city or in a "praia" or sort of a town square. In Sao Miguel, the largest of the celebrations happens in the city of Ponta Delgada and is called Festa do Senhor Cristo dos Milagres or festival of the Christ of Miracles. In Santa Maria, the most popular of the festivities take place in the Praia Formosa. The largest festival on that island takes place in Vila do Porto which commerates the its patron saint, Our Lady of Assention. Finally, where my family is from Terceira, the festival of Saint John takes place. The festivities are based in the city of Angra do Heroisimo. The Danças de Carnival are groups of people who perform in comedy and dance routines at the thirty theatres on the island. Almost the entire population of the island fills the seating. When my extended family goes to Portugal they usually go for this event. If you wanna read more about the celebrations and where they are at in the mainland of portugal you can go to this website : More on Portugues Celebrations & Locations
It's really hard to tell if the media has really changed them because they like to stay traditional in their practices of the celebrations and don't really change the areas in which they hold them. With RTP broadcasting them here in the United States and elsewhere, I would assume that the traditions have become more of a "show" rather than a mere celebration. They want to show the world how they celebrate and make sure it looks good when they do it. Some of the tradtions may have been lost with the upcoming media and with the Internet more people know about them and want to see them for themselves. It's really hard to say because the areas in which they call traditional aren't well known throughout the world, so many people don't know about them. An example would be Carnival in Brazil, people want to know about it because it's famous and well known, areas in Portugal and the Azores aren't well known for people to want to know about them.
COOL FACT: In the Azores, bullfighting in the street is a pretty big thing, where the whole city gathers to watch the bull in the street. Most are now in an arena because of the dangers that they pose. Many question if its cruelty or entertainment but they have been doing this forever. Media has changed this aspect of their society greatly. With all the media exposure people are more reluctant to record it and boast about it because of the backlashes it has. Everybody knows how in Mexico and Spain they kill the bull but in Portugal they do not, that is why the media exposure to bullfights has kind of changed how people view them. I say they have bullfights in Portugal and the first question I get is, "Do they kill the bull?" Bullfights have transcended here to the United States as well. The city I live in has a Portuguese Hall and will have a couple of bullfights a year. One year the media got wind of it and actually made it on the evening news.
Many of the Portuguese traditions have impacted the lives of Portuguese people here in California and all over the United States. Here is the website for the Artesia D.E.S. Portuguese Hall if you want to find out when the next bullfight is if you'd like to attend. Artesia DES Portuguese Hall
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| Festa do Senhor Cristo dos Milagres |
It's really hard to tell if the media has really changed them because they like to stay traditional in their practices of the celebrations and don't really change the areas in which they hold them. With RTP broadcasting them here in the United States and elsewhere, I would assume that the traditions have become more of a "show" rather than a mere celebration. They want to show the world how they celebrate and make sure it looks good when they do it. Some of the tradtions may have been lost with the upcoming media and with the Internet more people know about them and want to see them for themselves. It's really hard to say because the areas in which they call traditional aren't well known throughout the world, so many people don't know about them. An example would be Carnival in Brazil, people want to know about it because it's famous and well known, areas in Portugal and the Azores aren't well known for people to want to know about them.
COOL FACT: In the Azores, bullfighting in the street is a pretty big thing, where the whole city gathers to watch the bull in the street. Most are now in an arena because of the dangers that they pose. Many question if its cruelty or entertainment but they have been doing this forever. Media has changed this aspect of their society greatly. With all the media exposure people are more reluctant to record it and boast about it because of the backlashes it has. Everybody knows how in Mexico and Spain they kill the bull but in Portugal they do not, that is why the media exposure to bullfights has kind of changed how people view them. I say they have bullfights in Portugal and the first question I get is, "Do they kill the bull?" Bullfights have transcended here to the United States as well. The city I live in has a Portuguese Hall and will have a couple of bullfights a year. One year the media got wind of it and actually made it on the evening news.
Many of the Portuguese traditions have impacted the lives of Portuguese people here in California and all over the United States. Here is the website for the Artesia D.E.S. Portuguese Hall if you want to find out when the next bullfight is if you'd like to attend. Artesia DES Portuguese Hall
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Conglomerate
Media conglomeration in Portugal is somewhat relevant but still is present to this day. To start off, the government controls most of the advertising and public tv through unilateral control in RTP. They control alsmost all aspects of RTP (vertical integration). The national media is under one name, LUSA, which predominately is broadcasted through RTP1 and RTP2. Agencia Ecclesia, contorls most of the domestic news and covers news in local outlets. The local news media are divided amongst several companies similar to the big six conglomerates in the United States but only with different names. Here are some of the companies that own the media in Portugal and a link to one of the outlets they own. (Translation might be required..it was for me)
The most important, I think, is Controlinveste. I think its the most important because its presence is felt in all mediums of news media, print, online, magazine, and TV. This "highlights" of this comapany would be Journal de Noticias, 24 Hoas, O Jogo, TSF (radio), Sport TV, and other specialized newspapers and magazines. Journal de Noticias
Next would be COFINA, which focuses mainly on print. They control most of the daily magazines, comparable to the Long Beach Press Telegram, and many of the free newspapers. Some examples would be Correio da Manha, Jornal de Negocios and Record. Some of the free newspapers would be Destak and Meia-Hora. Meia-Hora
Media Capital is very influential in the audiovisual department. Leads the advertising sector in TVI radio stations Radio Comercial, Radio Clube Portugues, Cidade FM. Since then their shift has been toward the music industry. They are known for some production and distribution. Cidade FM
Finally there is Impresa, which was formely owned by a government official. This used to be owned by Fransisco Balsemao. It owns Expresso, Visao, Journal de Letras, Exame, Telenovelas, Coras, and specialized magazines. A majority of this company also consists of commercial channels mainly, SIC and SIC Noticias. Visao
In my opinion, the conglomerates in the county are a good thing because it sort of organizes everything. You do have dominant control is some areas but not all, which creates competition in the ones that are not completely dominated. I believe that it provides its people with a variety of information and a great selection to choose from.
The most important, I think, is Controlinveste. I think its the most important because its presence is felt in all mediums of news media, print, online, magazine, and TV. This "highlights" of this comapany would be Journal de Noticias, 24 Hoas, O Jogo, TSF (radio), Sport TV, and other specialized newspapers and magazines. Journal de Noticias
Media Capital is very influential in the audiovisual department. Leads the advertising sector in TVI radio stations Radio Comercial, Radio Clube Portugues, Cidade FM. Since then their shift has been toward the music industry. They are known for some production and distribution. Cidade FM
Finally there is Impresa, which was formely owned by a government official. This used to be owned by Fransisco Balsemao. It owns Expresso, Visao, Journal de Letras, Exame, Telenovelas, Coras, and specialized magazines. A majority of this company also consists of commercial channels mainly, SIC and SIC Noticias. Visao
The effects that the conglomerates have in Portugal are difficult to notice because the outlets that are accessible give out a lot of information and most articles seem to be fair in point of view. The only time its easy to notice the effects is when the article or broadcast is taking aim at a political party or issue. When that happens you can tell which medium is being lobbied by that political party. The effect it has on the market is actually a little bit greater.
The market is greatly effected by the "conglomerates" because not all of them dominate all mediums of the market. Some companies specialize in one department while others dominate the remainder of the mediums. Yes, some do spill over into the other but it creates a balance and more than one point of view.
In my opinion, the conglomerates in the county are a good thing because it sort of organizes everything. You do have dominant control is some areas but not all, which creates competition in the ones that are not completely dominated. I believe that it provides its people with a variety of information and a great selection to choose from.
Friday, February 18, 2011
In My Opinion...
Hello Everybody!!
The subject of media conglomeration seemed a little tough to fully grasp at first but after doing some research it doesn't seem too confusing. To me, the idea of media conglomeration is the total control of the media in a particular area and forcing the viewers of that media to believe what you believe. It's the influence of a greater corporation(s) extending its beliefs to the auidence. A great example would be one news agency as octopus extending its tentacles into every aspect of society...doesn't matter if it's the economy, politics, social media, and even into the way we think and act everyday. It is also the bigger guy pushing around the little guy and if that little guy decides to give up, the big guy takes over what the little guy had. The impact it has on society is very substantial.
If you only have two main companies distributing and providing information, you have no choice but to believe one or the other. This creates a very narrow and limited point of view where the information comes from. Then the amount of information comes into play because depending on the number of news agencies, the information can be very limited or can be too broad; its one extreme or the other. If there is only a limited amount of information you don't get the full picture of what is going on. If the imformation is in abundance you don't know what to believe (Internet) because the validity can be very hard to determine. Not all of the impacts that media conglomeration creates aren't necessarily bad. 
Media conglomeration can create positive things. Companies owning many other media agencies opens up the market to the whole world. It brings media to places in the world that maybe 20 to 30 years ago didn't have anything but their local channels. An example of this would be the broadcast of public Portuguese TV in the little city of Artesia. Certain cable companies provide RTP from Portugal to the United States and even broadcasts online. This allows someone in Brazil to watch Portuguese TV via the television or Internet. The conglomerate of media in the world can bring the world more together by knowing and understanding what is going on half way across the world. Currently, the uprising in Egypt has been seen by other countries and has inspired those countries to do the same. It gives the world a diversity in news content and media as well. When considering conglomerates, you do loose mid-level media companies but at the same time you are gaining diversity in content and the spreading of that content is a lot greater.But if you ask me, the big media corporations are like a puppeteer, pulling the strings on what THEY want us to watch and what to believe. Its hard to find a balanced program out there but it's possible. As the late George Carlin would put it:
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Word Around Town Is....
As I was watching RTP this afternoon, I happened to stumble upon a clip that was quite interesting. It was centered around protests of transportation for non-urgent patient transport. This is a big issue because most of the patients that require this transportation are below the poverty line and can barely afford food to eat at the end of the day. According to the spokesperson of the Commission (State of Health), the cuts would apply to those who can barely afford 250 to 350 euros per month. Most of the patients are elderly and either retired or simply cannot work. The cuts also apply to the volunteer firemen, cutting their daily services from 15 to one. Overall, they (State of Health) are increasing the requirements to have access to public transportation for the sick and/or elderly. The protesters stated that if nothing was done the protests would increase.
On Friday the Minister of Health stated that the expenses of the state had fallen 6.6 percent from the same month of 2010. This has been implemented mainly to help the state save money, roughly 45.5 million euros.
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| Ana Jorge |
“The spending behavior of SNS in January 2011, demonstrate an overall reduction of 6.6 percent compared to January 2010,” said Ana Jorge.
In the Azores, an RTP building caught fire on Friday night. Luckily the building was not being used at the time. No deaths were reported but a fireman was injured during the process of the fire fight. The location used to be the headquartes for RTP but was still owned by them. Sparks seemed to be the cause of the fire but nobody knows.
Information found at:
A Political "Party"
Today, I will be following the current events in Portugal via RTP which I described in my last post but with a little bit of a twist today. I'm going to be watching it with my grandmother so she could translate a little bit since I don't speak the language enough to fully understand what is going on. If you look at the previous post the RTP live feed is on there if you would like to see the different media it presents to citizens here in the U.S. and in other countries as well. Here is the link again if you didn't catch it in the last post. The RTP International TV station
They are currently reporting from Egypt following the resignation of former President Mubarak. The people are urging the citizens to clean up the streets following their celebration. Interesting enough is that the Portuguese reporter is speaking English to the Egyptian people.
parties describing how the financial crisis should be dealt with regarding their particular political viewpoints. The increased taxes and reduction in public spending has been the main cause of the debt the country is in (no one argues the cause). The political parties seem to have building tension with the Government. They will be voting whether or not to censure the BE or not.
Since we are in the realm of finances, Portugal has decided to buy back its own bonds to avoid an international buyout. José Sócrates, Portugal’s prime minister, has condemned a censure motion to be tabled against his minority government as a “colossal irresponsibility” that will weaken efforts to avert an international financial bail-out. Portuguese officials say this shows the country has enough money to refinance its debt. Many people, citizens and politicans alike, fear that they will have to follow suit with Ireland and Greece in asking the EU (European Union) to buy them out. The estimated cost of the bonds are approximately worth €9.4bn.
I decided to call this entry a political "party" because it seems as though many of the political leaders are weighing in on the financial crisis. I thought it was pretty catchy, if you think so feel free to make a comment if you can think of a better title. I'd like to know your opinion!
Thank you and have a nice day everybody!
Information found at:
They are currently reporting from Egypt following the resignation of former President Mubarak. The people are urging the citizens to clean up the streets following their celebration. Interesting enough is that the Portuguese reporter is speaking English to the Egyptian people.
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| Pedro Passos Coelho Leader of the Social Democratic Party |
Different politcal figures are giving speeches this week discussing the financial crisis that has seemed to keep going. Now in Portugal, they just dont have the American model of bicameral parties. It consist of many parties. If you thought American politics was confusing try living in a country with 16 different politcal parties. Ranging from the far left, the Portuguese Communist Party, and to the far right, Popular Monarchist Party. The main political parties that rise up against the rest are: Socialist Party (PS, 121 seats in parliament); Social Democratic Party (PSD, 75 seats); Portuguese Communist Party/Green Ecologist Party (Coligacao Democratica Unitaria, CDU, 14 seats); Popular Party (PP, 12 seats); Left Block (BE Bloco de Esquerda, 8 seats). Different
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| "Power to the Portuguese Communist Party" |
At the closing of the Forum of New Frontiers-Defend Portugal, Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, José Sócrates stated, “the threat of political instability hampers the effort of all the Portuguese”. This is a reatction to censuring the Bloco de Espuerda, BE.
"There are no mistakes, because it is truly serious and there is no time to lose, the duty of those who want to keep on the side of the national interest is cut right now with this irresponsible adventure and end up straight away with any questions or with any ambiguity, each day that passes this uncertainty is a blow to confidence and a sign of contempt by the effort of the Portuguese", defended José Sócrates.
The PSD is highly considering censuring the BE because of its radical viewpoints that it maintains.
Since we are in the realm of finances, Portugal has decided to buy back its own bonds to avoid an international buyout. José Sócrates, Portugal’s prime minister, has condemned a censure motion to be tabled against his minority government as a “colossal irresponsibility” that will weaken efforts to avert an international financial bail-out. Portuguese officials say this shows the country has enough money to refinance its debt. Many people, citizens and politicans alike, fear that they will have to follow suit with Ireland and Greece in asking the EU (European Union) to buy them out. The estimated cost of the bonds are approximately worth €9.4bn.
I decided to call this entry a political "party" because it seems as though many of the political leaders are weighing in on the financial crisis. I thought it was pretty catchy, if you think so feel free to make a comment if you can think of a better title. I'd like to know your opinion!
Thank you and have a nice day everybody!
Information found at:
http://countrystudies.us/portugal/88.htm
http://www.algarveresident.com/main.asp
http://www.jn.pt/PaginaInicial/Nacional/Interior.aspx?content_id=1782816
http://www.algarveresident.com/main.asp
http://www.jn.pt/PaginaInicial/Nacional/Interior.aspx?content_id=1782816
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Background To A Beautiful Place
To get things started, Portugal is located in Western Europe and borders Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. The territory of Portugal includes the Azores and Madeira islands. The country, including the islands, is predominatly Catholic and holds very strong Catholic beliefs. The news and social media is broadcasted or distributed by a wide variety of ways. They are distributed through newspapers (print), online, radio, and movies.
The country is offically named as the Portuguese Republic and consists of a republic with one legislative house. The head of government is the Prime Minsister, José Sócrates, and the Head of State consistst of a president, Aníbal António Cavaco Silva who was just re-elected January 23, 2011. The official language of
Portugal is Portuguese, including the islands of Azores and Madeira. Even though Catholicism is prominent in the region, there is no official religion of the country. The population of mainland Portugal is 10,643,000 (2010). The Azores (seven islands) has a population of roughly 244,066 (2008).
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