All cycles have a beginning and an end.

As of today, I am stepping down as Executive Director of Diário dos Açores, after a cycle that lasted almost a decade.

These were years of intense editorial adrenaline, working to maintain a serious journalistic project with the credibility the Azores’ oldest daily newspaper deserved. We did our best, putting professional standards first in the service of the Azores and regional causes, without prejudice or parochialism, and always focusing on closeness to our readers. We opened the newspaper to the widest possible range of opinions, with various contributors from various social and ideological backgrounds, never refusing any kind of collaboration.

Every day, we face difficulties typical of the crisis that traditional media is experiencing, but it has been possible to fulfill the initial project thanks to a highly professional team in the newsroom, layout, typography, and all other departments, not to mention the editorial freedom granted to us by the newspaper’s administrators.

After going through several revolutionary cycles in the profession—from manual to lead in Linotypes, then to photocomposition, more recently digital, and now Artificial Intelligence (AI)—it is time to make way for new blood, which will give continuity and more vigor to journalism today, always with a focus on “human judgment must remain central” in editorial decisions, as journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa warns.

She chaired the commission, convened by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), to draft a letter in defense of journalism in the face of artificial intelligence, which highlights that “the social function of journalism and the media—to be a third pillar of trust for society and individuals—is a cornerstone of democracy and reinforces the right to information for all. AI systems can greatly help the media fulfill this role, but only if they are used transparently, fairly, and responsibly, in an editorial environment that strongly upholds journalistic ethics.”

Until this new stage is reached, the Azorean media, especially newspapers, will have to reflect deeply on their role in today’s constantly changing society, with the added problem of financial resources that demotivate any professional in the sector.

Without good journalism, society falters, and misinformation, fake news, and hate speech on social media will reign supreme.

As a professional approaching half a century of activity, I will continue to contribute because a journalist never takes off his uniform.

In other words, I will continue on this path.

Thank you very much to all our readers.

Osvaldo Cabral was the Executive Director of the newspaper Diário dos Açores.

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from various leading thinkers, writers, and editorial boards from the Azores to give the diaspora and those interested in the current Azores a sense of the significant opinions on some of the archipelago’s issues.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL).