A new constitutional five-year period is announced. Let’s hope it is also in terms of communication and information practices…
A good number of Portuguese people, particularly those who have had the opportunity to live in other European Union countries and see the discretion with which heads of state (presidents or monarchs) behave there, have become fed up with the egocentric, exhibitionist character, whose mandate in Belém is now coming to an end.
Fed up with this character who mobilized the media almost daily and did everything to make it that way, making countless statements about everything and nothing. Statements that often lack the relevance and consistency expected from a head of state. And so many times on matters that were not within their competence in terms of both constitutional and specific knowledge.
It is true that the one whose mandate is coming to an end these days did everything he could to make it so, loving the kisses, the selfieces and even bad taste jokes. When not going to an ATM or an ice cream shop. But it is also true that this was only possible because, in the “journalistic” conception that sadly dominates in Portugal, this allowed the multitude of media professionals who followed behind to produce material to fill paper and airtime, with a minimum of effort that was not tiring…
Evidently respecting the freedom of initiative and movement of those who work for newspaper information (written, sound or video), the new President’s collaborators must keep them away from him. Kindly making them understand that they will not force you to make statements that are devoid of timeliness and relevance. That he will not allow himself to be pushed into constant journalistically absurd “straight forwards”. And that journalists will obviously be welcome at press conferences organized to gather the President’s statements and ask him any questions they deem appropriate.
In the new cycle that is now beginning, we need a respectable, dignified, serene Presidency of the Republic, up to the responsibilities that the dark and worrying national and international current affairs demand. And not in some kind of funny, permanent entertainer and without the purpose of audiovisual shows…
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