Public Aid as a Measure of State Interventionism in the Portuguese and Spanish Press.

The aim of this paper is to analyze communication policies and the relationship between state and press in Portugal and Spain, with special emphasis on these two countries' particular characteristics within the Euro-Mediterranean model. A historical approach has been taken to explain context and measures of the past that have led to the current situations. Moreover, the paradigm shift that digital convergence is bringing about makes it necessary to reflect upon how these countries, each with a very definite journalistic tradition, are facing the future of the press. There is no guarantee that government measures of the past will be able to ensure the competitive vitality that converging international media requires. Finally, the paper also reviews how various policies of state aid and impact assessment contribute to paralysis in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]