NEWS | Paulo Estêvão wants to encourage young Azoreans to read newspapers

The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, launched today the public presentation of the National Digital Subscription Programme for Young People aged 15 to 18 in regional schools at the Antero de Quental School in Ponta Delgada, highlighting the various achievements of the Regional Government in the media sector.

Regarding the free subscription programme of a national general media outlet, the government official emphasised that “reliable information” is fundamental to a solid democracy. He added that a team from the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities will visit Azorean schools, including vocational schools, to present this measure and raise awareness among “students, teachers and parents” about joining the project.

The following link provides further information on this programme, one of the measures devised by the National Government, with which the Regional Government has been in permanent contact with a view to the full implementation of national measures in the Region: Digital Subscription Programme for Young People – Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities – Portal.

In addition, a “major institutional advertising campaign” will be launched this month on Azorean radio stations and in newspapers with the aim of “raising awareness among the population to consume regional information.”

“This is a long-awaited programme,” acknowledged Paulo Estêvão, who stressed that the current political situation, without party elections in the near future, made it possible for this measure to come into force.

Moreover, another component of the “Action Plan for the Azorean Media” will also be launched soon: the purchase of subscriptions of Azorean newspapers by the Regional Government for distribution in schools and social solidarity institutions.

“Overall, we will close the year with around two million Euros invested in the sector,” the government official stated, highlighting the financial and technical developments of the new Azorean Private Media Incentive Scheme (SIM).

The last training course of the year for journalists, promoted by the Protocol Centre for Professional Training for Journalists (CENJOR). By the end of the year, about 40 professionals will have received training in economics and disaster reporting. The topics were defined by CENJOR, in conjunction with the Regional Board of the Azorean Journalists’ Union, with the Azorean Government responsible for the logistics of the training.

The initiative of the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities in Azorean schools involves the active collaboration of the Regional Secretariat for Education, Culture and Sport, through the Regional Directorate for Education, and the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment, which supervises vocational schools.

GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU