Media transformation and public trust in a shifting political landscape: Julian Rea speaks with José D’Aguilar from Liminal’s partner in Portugal, ALL Comunicação, to get his take on consequences for the media after the country’s historic election upended decades of bipartisan politics.

The media has always served as a mirror of the political system. With everything that’s happened, how should it reflect this new reality?

Everything shook, didn’t it? The media can no longer operate under the old logic of bipartisanship. The rise of forces like Chega and what’s happened to the left – it demands completely new approaches. The new correlation of forces in Parliament calls for more representation, a greater understanding of the new political framework and less inertia. That means rethinking who gets invited to comment, how debates are framed, what perspectives get priority. The map has turned to the right – there’s no denying that.

What happens if the media doesn’t adapt to this definitive end of bipartisanship?

There’s a real risk of losing public trust. Change is not only about votes – it’s about institutions and public discourse too. If media platforms don’t evolve, they risk becoming completely disconnected from what people are actually thinking. The Portuguese political system has been redesigned, and the new design is much more unstable than the previous one. Without credible, adaptive media, we’re looking at deeper misinformation and polarisation. The tectonic plates of Portuguese democracy are shifting.

There’s talk about bringing in new voices and renewing analysis panels. What does that actually mean for communications professionals?

It’s both a challenge and an opportunity, really. As the media environment shifts, communications teams must completely rethink how they engage audiences. We need to anticipate the arrival of new voices and craft strategies that work in a more asymmetrical, unpredictable political landscape. Parliament has become more right-wing, but also more asymmetrical. It’s no longer about speaking to a predictable centre – it’s about navigating extremes and new power centres. Even fragmentation as we knew it has gone out of fashion.

Could bringing in new voices actually strengthen public confidence in media?

Absolutely. When audiences see that media outlets are actually responsive to change, they’re more likely to trust them. By diversifying political commentary and reflecting this tectonic shift in democracy, media becomes more relevant. When one part of the system adjusts, others must follow – especially in how information gets delivered and interpreted. Who will be the first mover? Someone has to take the lead in this transformation.