BBC Broadcasts to Portugal in WW2

Author:

Nelson Ribeiro

Report:

Newsletter 29

Year:

2026

Subject Matter:

Anglo-Portuguese relations

Excerpt:

The article briefly analyses the impact of foreign broadcasts in Portugal during the Second World War as well as the communication strategies adopted by both German and British transmissions in the Portuguese language. After demonstrating that the broadcasts from the Axis powers were mainly composed of blatant propaganda, particular attention is given to the BBC, which was the most effective in reaching the Portuguese public, promoting itself as a credible source that offered reliable and unbiased news, despite that, as the article demonstrates, it trimmed its output to meet considerations imposed by the Foreign Office.