Oporto newspapers and the city readers: the construction of editorial and audiences identities

Abstract

The three Oporto daily newspapers O Comércio do Porto, O Primeiro de Janeiro and Jornal de Notícias were founded during the XIX century and steadily grew in prestige and respect amongst the national Portuguese press. These papers began as local ideological projects supported by political parties and a powerful commercial association but gradually evolved to more comprehensive newspapers and with a wider range of lectors. The particular profile of each title was built through editorial policies which led to strategies of audience identification, underlined by the charisma of their owners and directors that became the very soul of each project. The aim of this study is to identify the processes of engagement with the Oporto audiences and the growth of their impact on the North Region. The methodology will involve the study of the editorial guidance and the processes used to generate identification bond between the news contents and the readers.