Trust in News Workers Rally: 'Let Us Work' Amid Company Insolvency Crisis

'Without journalism, there is no democracy,' chanted dozens of workers from Trust in News (TIN) during a protest in Lisbon, highlighting the crisis faced by the company, which owns 16 publications, including Visão, Jornal de Letras, and Caras. On the day the company was declared insolvent, employees remain hopeful about preserving their publications and the 140 jobs at stake.

At 6 PM on Wednesday, several journalists from TIN gathered on the steps of the Largo Camões statue, holding signs with messages like 'Let us work,' 'The keyboards will not stop,' and 'Do not let Visão die in darkness.'

Clara Teixeira, a union representative from Visão, expressed confidence in the possibility of maintaining the titles, pointing out that the publications have subscribers, newsstand sales, and advertising. While acknowledging the difficult situation, she emphasized the workers' call to society, readers, advertisers, and potential buyers to invest in the group.

'Every time a title closes, pluralism is lost,' noted Teixeira, while Manuel Halpern, a journalist from Jornal de Letras, shared optimism that some proposals have already emerged for certain titles.

Workers believe there are conditions to keep the publications alive and are determined not to give up. 'We will not lower our arms,' they reiterated during various speeches.

Hours before the protest, TIN was declared insolvent by the Lisbon West Judicial Court, a decision that did not surprise the workers, as the group had its Special Revitalization Plan (PER) rejected by tax authorities on November 5, and management announced plans for insolvency on November 12.

Following the insolvency declaration, André Fernando de Sá Correia Pais was appointed by the court as the insolvency administrator. 'The administrator will decide whether to continue publishing titles' until a new buyer potentially arrives, explained Teixeira. 'Everything is open, anything can happen,' remarked Halpern, expressing uncertainty about the administrator's decisions.

TIN's debt exceeds 32 million euros, with over half owed to the state. Salary and subsidy payments to employees have been delayed since November of the previous year. Reflecting on past actions, Halpern suggested that workers should have protested earlier, as they were misled by the previous administration, led by former journalist Luís Delgado, who promised capital injections that never materialized.

Support for the workers came from readers, journalists from other media outlets, and political figures, including António Filipe from the PCP and João Ferreira, a Lisbon city councilor. In statements to PÚBLICO, Ferreira noted that workers have reached a 'limit situation,' facing delayed salaries and unacceptable working conditions. He argued that such situations further impoverish media pluralism, impacting the quality of information produced and, consequently, the quality of democracy itself.