On February 5, 2026, Diário dos Açores marked its 156th anniversary—an annual ritual that speaks to an unbreakable will to renew itself and to a remarkable capacity for resilience. These are qualities bequeathed by its founder, Manuel Augusto Tavares de Resende (1849–1892), and carried forward by generations who understood that a newspaper is not merely a business, but a public trust.

A paper that has survived for 156 years—crossing political regimes, eras of peace and war, cycles of prosperity and hardship—has lived many lives. It has adapted to successive technologies of production and distribution, weathered different models of management and editorial direction, and endured the pressures that accompany each historical moment. Such longevity makes Diário dos Açores more than a newspaper: it is a living archive, a witness to the most consequential events of the last century and a half in the Azores, in Portugal, and in the wider world. As such, it remains an invaluable resource for political, social, and economic research—whether for scholars, students, or simply the curious reader.

It is no accident, for example, that Diário dos Açores is cited as a reference and source in the exhibition University of the Azores: Experiences of the Academy, organized by the Public Library and Regional Archive of Ponta Delgada as part of the University’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. The newspaper’s pages have long mirrored the intellectual, cultural, and civic life of the region.

Beyond its historical value, Diário dos Açores has consistently fulfilled a public-service mission. Readers benefit not only from the news it reports, but also from the commentary and analysis offered by its regular and occasional contributors. In an era when attention is fragmented and immediacy often trumps depth, keeping a print newspaper alive is, quite simply, an act of resistance.

That resistance is even more meaningful in an insular, geographically dispersed region—small in scale, distant from major centers of power—even if it is part of Europe, anchored in the North Atlantic. Fixed costs are high; variable costs in a market like ours are higher still. Distribution is expensive, competition—both direct and indirect—is fierce, and social media knows no bounds.

All of this underscores a central truth: regulated, transparent information—pluralistic, high-quality journalism with a strong public-service ethic, grounded in values such as peace and inclusion—should be treated in democratic societies as an investment, not an expense.

In that spirit, congratulations are due to Paulo Viveiros, to the newspaper’s staff, its contributors, its readers, and its shareholders for keeping Diário dos Açores alive—and, in doing so, for continuing to render this essential service to the Azores.

In Diário dos Açores-Paulo Viveiros, director.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.