The president of the entity regulating the media (ERC), Carlos Magno, offered this week a somewhat dignified pearl. The case concerns, as it would be, Miguel Relvas and as nothing to do with his degree in "simplex" style.

Carlos Magno as come to confess to "have no doubts" about the "unacceptable pressure" the minister Deputy and of the Parliamentary Affairs has supposedly done to the newspaper Publico. More, he was really "convinced" that this expression would be present in the reports the ERC as done about this process. The words were used in the parliamentary commission on Ethics, Media and Citizenship. The same report he voted and whose vote was, moreover, decisive. If we would just consider this, already would fit, but there is more. After all, it seem that for Carlos Magno is of little importance the fact of not having read the final deliberation, be enough to "assume the guilt" for this lapse, only regretting the mentioned "unacceptable pressure" was not included. And the conclusion of all this? ERC's president "is proud" of the report, in spite of of the "contradictions" one can find in it. Ended saying that life itself is made out of contradictions and that, despite being unacceptable, the minister's action was not unlawful.

The pressures on the media are not new. Nor are the references to the minister Miguel Relvas. The mess around all this accumulate. But is it not the ERC's role to ensure there are no misconceptions, of any king, on such matters? Is it not the ERC's role to prevent the existence of such attacks to the freedom of the press? Since when has the "unacceptable pressures" become so acceptable that it is no longer necessary to take action?

Unacceptable are also the working conditions, in Portugal, many journalists are currently being subject to, with more and more precarious ties or even working without any income. One might say, following this logic, that is unacceptable but is not unlawful, since the labor laws have been thus relaxed to allow it.

The difference is that who understands them as unacceptable tries to fight to change the ways things are, does not shrugs or stays relaxed or proud with the constant attacks on labor rights. Consider something, whatever it may be, is unacceptable has to have some consequence other than just pulling the wool over our eyes.

The "film" that was offered to us by the ERC's president does not dignify anyone, as well as the several "films" by Miguel Relvas only discredit even more the political class. It is, for all this, legitimate that the ERC's president has forced us to assists to his sad role? No, it is even unacceptable.

Article from As Beiras