In this year's edition, Portugal ranks 13th among the 27 European Union (EU) countries, matching the EU average (49%), presenting a "medium-low risk," while in 2022 the country registered a risk index of 40%.

For Rui Cádima, author and researcher at ICNOVA's Diversity and Pluralism Observatory, the main reason for this decline "is related to the growing trend of worsening economic sustainability in the media sector," he explained to the Lusa news agency.

Rui Cádima highlights the existence of "weakened newsrooms, heavily pressured by precariousness, putting editorial freedom at risk and investigative journalism as the first victim," adding "an increasing difficulty in filtering disinformation and information from multiple intermediaries, despite the emergence of fact-checkers."

Vying for first place in the index, developed by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom to assess risks to media pluralism, are Germany (28%) and Sweden (28%), followed by Denmark (31%) and the Netherlands (33%), with all four presenting a risk level considered "very low."

Portugal has a pluralism index of 49%, ranking between France (46%) and Latvia (50%), while Hungary ranks last, with a "very high" risk level (74%). In 2022, Portugal ranked 7th out of 32 countries, and in 2024, it ranked 11th.

Covering the 27 EU member states, the MPM (Media Pluralism Monitor) index assesses media pluralism based on multiple components.

In the area of ​​"Fundamental Protection," Portugal maintains a "medium-low" level, and the protection of freedom of expression is the most critical indicator, as it "continues to be tainted in Portugal by the Penal Code legislation that punishes defamation with prison sentences."

"Another worrying aspect concerns the need to quickly legislate anti-SLAPP provisions, notably to protect journalists against abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing them," the document warns.

Market plurality already presents a "medium-high" risk, due to the increasingly difficult economic situation of small and medium-sized businesses, the declining revenues of traditional media outlets, and the increasingly precarious nature of the journalism profession.

Regarding political independence, the country presents a "low" risk, while social inclusion presents a high risk, given that "local media outlets are increasingly affected by financial pressures and face numerous challenges in ensuring economic stability," the report states.

In this sense, "the highest risk situation arises in the area of ​​Social Inclusion, which now presents a high risk. In the area of ​​Market Plurality, there are also persistent problems of market concentration. In the case of Fundamental Protection, the situation has worsened slightly, as Portugal still has critical issues to resolve [...] in the case of political independence, this remains the most stable area, presenting a low level of risk."