The Portugal Journalists' Union successfully pushed through two landmark motions at the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) centenary congress in Paris earlier this month, positioning Portuguese media workers at the forefront of global efforts to regulate artificial intelligence in newsrooms and secure stronger government backing for independent journalism.
The congress, which ran from May 4 to 7 and gathered union representatives from around the world, unanimously adopted the Portuguese proposals—a rare feat that signals growing international alarm over the unchecked deployment of AI tools in journalism and the erosion of public funding for media across democratic nations.
Why This Matters
• Portugal-based journalists now have international backing for AI labor protections and ethical guidelines.
• The motions directly challenge current Portugal government policies seen as undermining RTP and Lusa funding.
• Global unions are prioritizing precarity in journalism as a cross-border crisis requiring coordinated action.
• The IFJ's work program will center on AI regulation and structural subsidies for independent reporting.
AI Protections Take Center Stage
The first motion, titled "Protection of Journalism and Journalists in the Face of Artificial Intelligence," addresses head-on the ethical and labor consequences of AI integration in newsrooms. It comes at a moment when industry research shows that a significant majority of journalists in Portugal use AI to boost productivity, yet most have received little to no formal training on the technology.
The motion emphasizes the need for collective bargaining with AI companies, full transparency in algorithmic decision-making, and fair compensation when journalistic work is scraped to train generative models. It aligns with broader international initiatives demanding that synthetic content be clearly labeled and that human editorial control remain non-negotiable.
Portuguese journalists are already adapting to AI tools in their daily work. Many rely on AI for research, information gathering, translation, and transcription. Yet there are concerns among professionals about whether AI could erode public trust in journalism and lead to the loss of traditional skills.
A Call for Government Subsidies
The second motion, also approved unanimously, urges the IFJ to press governments worldwide for robust structural support for journalism, framed as "an essential pillar of all democracies and a fundamental good of any just society."
The Portugal Journalists' Union (SJ) proposed a package of measures including structural grants for investigative reporting, funding for independent journalistic projects, public campaigns to promote journalism, and reinforcement of public broadcasting. The union pointedly noted that the issue is "particularly sensitive" given that the current Portugal government is moving in the opposite direction with RTP (Portugal public broadcaster) and Lusa (Portugal state news agency).
The criticism reflects mounting frustration over budget allocations. According to available data, the Portugal State Budget earmarks €296 million for public media promotion, yet funding gaps remain. The RTP Advisory Council has warned that current allocations may not be sufficient to sustain quality programming and modernization. Meanwhile, Lusa faces its own challenges in restructuring while maintaining editorial standards.
Media unions argue that these figures are insufficient to sustain quality journalism or modernize infrastructure. The government has promised to engage with public broadcasting and news agencies on sustainability, but specific timelines and funding commitments remain subject to ongoing negotiations.
International Solidarity and Precarity
The Portugal Journalists' Union reported feeling strong recognition from fellow unions for the causes championed by Portuguese journalists, particularly the fight against precarious employment. The SJ argued that combating precarity must become a global priority, as freelance and contract-based journalists increasingly lack access to AI tools, training, or fair remuneration for content used by tech platforms.
The IFJ congress featured discussions on threats to job security, the integrity of editorial independence, and the risk of AI-driven challenges to journalism. The federation's new work program will include AI regulation as a core pillar, alongside efforts to secure copyright protections and ensure that newsroom automation does not displace human journalists without adequate safeguards.
What This Means for Portugal-Based Media Workers
For journalists working in Portugal, the Paris motions translate into tangible advocacy. The IFJ's endorsement strengthens the Portugal Journalists' Union's position to negotiate with employers over AI usage codes of conduct—standards that remain inconsistently applied across Portuguese newsrooms. It also supports the case for mandatory training programs on AI tools and their proper use in journalism.
The call for structural subsidies could influence how the government approaches media funding. Current government initiatives include support for regional and local media, digital transition funding, and media literacy campaigns. However, unions argue that these efforts need greater scale and stability to reverse newsroom closures and job losses in Portugal.
The Road Ahead
The Paris congress marks a turning point in how journalism unions approach technology. Rather than viewing AI as an inevitability to be managed passively, federations are asserting collective control over how these tools are deployed, compensated, and regulated. The International Federation of Journalists has committed to ensuring that journalists are not just users of AI but active participants in shaping its governance.
For Portugal, the challenge now is translating international momentum into domestic policy. With the government preparing decisions on public broadcaster management and news agency restructuring, unions will press for transparency commitments and editorial independence guarantees. Similarly, government support must prioritize journalist training and infrastructure development.
The broader debate over AI in journalism hinges on a simple question: Who controls the technology, and who benefits from it? The Paris motions, championed by Portuguese journalists, insist the answer must prioritize public interest, fair compensation, and democratic accountability over the convenience of automation or the profits of tech giants.
For people living in Portugal, these international developments matter because they directly affect the independence and quality of the news they consume. Whether through RTP programming, Lusa reporting, or independent outlets, the decisions being made about AI integration and newsroom funding will shape Portuguese journalism for years to come. As the IFJ implements its new direction on AI regulation, Portugal-based media workers will be watching closely to see whether international declarations translate into enforceable standards—and whether their own government will heed the call to treat journalism as a public good worth defending.
