sinalAberto is based in Coimbra and was founded in 2020 by a team of 42 journalists and non-journalists who believe in the need for slow, long-form journalism.

It mainly covers local news but is also interested in a broad range of stories. From polar science to in-depth coverage of the Portuguese court system, the outlet claims time and space to produce long-form journalism that investigates beyond the surface. Its correspondents are spread across the Lusophone world, covering stories from Portuguese-speaking countries and the diaspora.

sinalAberto declares itself independent of political or economic groups and rejects advertising. The team doesn't currently have any sources of revenue, so it relies on their investment in the project, and all the team members work voluntarily.

A sinalAberto's project about Portugal's court system (carried out by its director, Vitalino José Santos) received a Gulbenkian grant for Investigative Journalism in 2020.

"It claims the right to subjectivity as one of the principles of responsible and serious journalism that seeks the truth, knowing that it will never be neutral," the organisation states on its website.

Source: Oasis Europe

Last updated date: November 2025

Location:
Coimbra, Portugal
Year the organization started publishing:
2020
Languages:
Portuguese
Type of coverage:
Local
Area of coverage:
Coimbra

Content

Editorial coverage:
Generalist, focused on multiple topics
Type of content produced by theme:
Science
Education
Environment
Politics
Technology
Sports
Economy and business
Lifestyle
Health and well-being
Entertainment and culture
Law and crime
Society and human rights
Gender
Feminism
LGBTIQ+
Ethnic minorities
Religious minorities
DEIA: Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility
Migration
War crimes and transitional justice
Journalism genres:
Chronicles and non-fiction
Essays
Interviews and reporting
Graphic novels and comics
Opinion
Investigative journalism
Narrative journalism
Reviews
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Data journalism
Solutions or constructive journalism
Engaged, community-driven or participatory journalism
Explanatory journalism
Cross-border journalism
Collaborative journalism
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Website
Newsletter
Social media platforms
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Primary tech platform or medium used to publish content:
Website

Audience and reach

Social media audience

Facebook number of followers:
2,656
Instagram number of followers:
308
YouTube number of followers:
11

Management and team

Founders

Female:
13
Male:
29
Founders:
Directors:
Vitalino José Santos

Team

Full-time employees:
0
Part-time employees:
0
Freelancers or consultants:
0
Volunteers:
80

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
Non-profit
All revenue sources reported by media leaders:
Grants
Other
Grants from private donor organisations
Grants or investment from philanthropic organisations
Grants from local and national government, and other connected governmental institutions or entities
Grants from United Nations, UNESCO, and other agencies
The primary source of revenue reported by media leaders:
Grants
The second most important revenue source reported:
Other
Others revenue sources:
Donations by the associates of the association that holds Sinal Aberto

Transparency

Doesn’t publish information about annual revenue
Has an ethics policy / manual
Publishes an ethics policy / manual
Doesn’t have a data privacy policy
Doesn’t publish a data privacy policy
Doesn’t have a whistleblower policy
Doesn’t have a complaints policy
Doesn’t have a sexual harassment or institutional violence policy
Is signed up to a press regulator, trust initiative, or part of a press association
Publishes up to date information about its team

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

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