The Second Meeting of the Media took place in Velas, S. Jorge Island, between June 16 and 19, 2001, with the presence of 30 participants coming from the Azores, Canada, the United States and Portuguese mainland.

This meeting organized by the Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Department for the Communities was entitled “Communicate Abroad: Survival and Change.”

Objectives:

-         Participation and dialog between professionals of communication;

-         Discussion about the Portuguese Media in the Communities;

-         Encourage the interchange and the relationship between the Media and the Communities;

-         Gather the media and the present Azorean reality.

Conclusions:

-         The Media abroad are vital to the development and evolution of the Azorean communities, being a part of their past, of their present days and, of course, of their expectations for the future, representing a patrimony which is very important to protect and preserve.

Language

-         The participants verified that an important discussion on the need of guaranteeing the continuity of the Media in Portuguese is already going on.

     In a reality where the younger generations speak less and less the Portuguese language, the languages of the receptor countries are being seen as a possible solution, similarly to what is happening with other ethnic groups.

 Training

-         The Media understand the necessity of reinforcing technical training, which can be developed through specific actions in the communities, of interchange, scholarships, or even including workshops within these meetings.

These actions should be developed in both ways trying to embrace        the new generations of Azorean descendants.

These initiatives should be organized through partnerships between the Media abroad and official and private entities.

 Future

-         The national and regional professionals of information should take advantage of the new technologies, specially the internet, to divulge and facilitate the reutilization of information abroad, namely the RDP-International and RDP-Azores.

The creation of an association of professionals of information abroad was discussed and decided.

It was mentioned, once again, the importance of the continuity of these meetings, through the creation of a support commission to collaborate with the organization of the next edition which aims to guarantee the involvement and responsibility of the Media abroad.