The award, promoted by the Portuguese Association of Communication Sciences (SOPCOM), recognizes reference doctoral theses in the field of Communication Sciences. This year's edition distinguished three doctoral theses defended between 2023 and 2025, out of 17 applications submitted.
Susana Ferrador's thesis, titled Ciberjornalismo de proximidade: mapeamento e análise dos media online transmontanos (Proximity Cyberjournalism: mapping and analysis of online media in Trás-os-Montes), defended on November 25, 2025, at FLUP, focused on the study of proximity journalism in the Trás-os-Montes region. The work analyzed the digital social media outlets operating in the territory, the production conditions, the challenges faced by professionals, and their role in informing populations and local communities.
Susana Ferrador considers the recognition "an incentive to continue studying proximity journalism, particularly in low-density population territories." The researcher, who has professional experience as a journalist, highlights the "very specific challenges" of practicing journalism outside major urban centers, adding that "there is still much to investigate in this area" and that she hopes to "continue contributing to this knowledge," valuing the work of professionals who ensure information for the populations.
Sara Monteiro Machado's thesis, defended in January 2025 at FLUP, addressed "The relationship between social media use and the electoral participation of Portuguese youth." The research sought to understand to what extent social media "converts politically alienated youth" or if, conversely, "it is youth with a prior political profile who politically use these platforms."
The results, based on a national survey of 600 young people aged 18 to 29, indicate that it is primarily young people with prior political orientations and motivations who make political use of social media.
“"There is still much to investigate in this area and I hope to continue contributing to this knowledge. Studying proximity journalism also means valuing the work of professionals who, every day, ensure information for the populations."
The research results [...] point to a greater weight of this second phenomenon, showing that it is primarily young people with prior political orientations and motivations who make political use of social media.
