Centenary newspapers in Porto: Identity editorial features and the construction of audiences in a city background. Main evolutionary journalistic lines in the late nineteenth century until the First Republic

Abstract

O Comércio do Porto, O Primeiro de Janeiro and Jornal de Notícias were the main newspapers launched in Porto during the nineteenth century. They were founded at a time the city was of central importance for its trade and international relations, but also because it was the epicentre of the main political movements that led to great changes in the country’s governance. They evolved according to the city developments and gradually gained prestige and national reach. Ideological models of press gave way to news editorial projects, and Porto newspapers also followed that path. Each editorial profile was built from the initial matrix, but also by gradually adapting to reader preferences and enhancing identification processes within the novelty of news formats. These daily newspapers were, at some point, led by charismatic owners and directors who became key factors in their evolution. The aim of this study is to identify these specific editorial lines and how they gained the loyalty of readers, taking into consideration the role of these newspapers in building common identity.