Online Media and Digital Journalism
Portugal’s oldest continuously published newspaper — O Setubalense — has been running since 1855 and now operates online. Alongside it stand digital portals Diário do Distrito and Setúbal Notícias, as well as the region’s first internet TV channel, SetúbalTV. The municipality has digitised its services through the USO system, while bloggers and expat forums form an alternative layer of information about the city.
Digital news portals
Diário do Distrito
A digital outlet hosted on the SAPO platform (diariodistrito.sapo.pt). Covers the Setúbal District: local culture, events, sport and community investigations.
Setúbal Notícias
A digital news portal (setubalnoticias.pt), registered with the ERC (Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social) under number 128008. Exclusive reports, opinion, cultural and sports coverage.
Distrito Online
A regional news portal (distritonline.pt) offering rapid coverage of events across the Setúbal District.
Notícias Agora
A real-time digital news platform (noticiasagora.pt). Covers Setúbal initiatives and events from peninsula activities to maritime affairs.
SetúbalTV
The region’s first online television channel (setubaltv.com). Founded and directed by Luís Mestre. Goal: to “show what Setúbal is” in an engaging and accessible way.
Programmes: SOBRE RODAS, DA MÚSICA, CONTO E VÍRGULA, MOVIMENTO É SAÚDE, 360°, Gente Doc, Oficina das Artes. Content: video broadcasts, short films, documentaries, animation.
Legacy media online
O Setubalense
Portugal’s oldest continuously published newspaper, founded on 1 July 1855 by João Carlos de Almeida Carvalho. A history of closures and revivals:
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| 1855–1857 | First run, 131 issues |
| 1916 | Revival (10 August), republican principles |
| 1927 | Shut down by the Estado Novo dictatorship, returned in August |
| 1981 | Relaunched under Carlos Bordalo-Pinheiro |
| 2013 | Print edition ceased due to Plurijornal bankruptcy (10 May) |
| Today | Daily print and online edition (osetubalense.com) |
Publisher: Primeira Hora - Editora e Comunicação Lda.
Radio online
- Rádio Jornal de Setúbal (RJS) — 88.6 FM, live streaming on rjsetubal.pt and via mobile app
- Rádio Sines — 95.9 FM, Alentejo coast, 24-hour broadcasting on radiosines.pt
See Radio in Setúbal for more.
Municipal and tourism portals
Município de Setúbal
The portal mun-setubal.pt and online services at servicosonline.mun-setubal.pt. Digital applications, certificates and licence issuance.
USO (Urbanismo Setúbal Online) — a system for simplifying urban planning procedures:
- Process types reduced from 56 to 11
- Request types from 268 to 123
- Document types from 756 to 189
The municipal geoportal provides access to land-use plans, licence information, classified heritage and hydrographic networks.
VisitSetúbal
The official tourism portal (visitsetubal.com). Managed by the Centro de Promoção Turística — Casa da Baía. Information on beaches, wine routes, cultural and gastronomic tourism, events and nature reserves.
Blogs and social media
Expat blogs
- A Way Abroad (findawayabroad.com) — guide to living in Setúbal
- Expatra (expatra.com) — pros and cons of life in the city
- Portugal Xpert (portugalxpert.com) — guide to Caparica and Setúbal
Travel blogs
- Taste of Lisboa — gastronomic guide to Setúbal
- CoolTour Porto — beaches, wine and hidden gems of the region
- Everything Setúbal — fish, markets, restaurants
Social media
Notable accounts:
- Jorge Reinaldo (@jorge.reinaldo.754) — photography and travel, 10.9K followers
- O Setubalense (@osetubalensejornal) — newspaper’s Instagram
- Diário do Distrito (@diariodistrito) — portal’s Instagram
Most “Instagrammable” locations: Miradouro do Portinho da Arrábida, the beaches of Galapos and Galapinhos, the abandoned barracks near Outão.
Forums and communities
- TripAdvisor — Setúbal Forum — tourist discussions
- Expats Portugal — Setúbal — relocation and integration forum
- Expat.com — general forum with a Portugal section
- Telegram and WhatsApp groups — catalogued on WGrupos.com and Neargroups
Challenges facing local media
The broader Portuguese context:
- 25% of the country’s municipalities have no local media
- 53.9% of Portugal is at risk of becoming a “news desert”
- Local journalists earn the national minimum wage on average
- Over 70% of local outlets hire journalists part-time
Total newspaper print runs in Portugal fell from ~176 million copies (2022) to 76.3 million (2024). In October 2024 the government unveiled a package of 30 measures to support the media sector.
Setúbal, unlike many regions, maintains an active media landscape — though dedicated podcasts and YouTube channels about the city are virtually non-existent.
See also
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