To explain how and why the Portuguese mass media constitute a frustrated Fourth Estate, this monograph summarizes the history and development of Portuguese media. The first section summarized the history of media legislation that has confronted Portuguese journalists and stunted the development of journalistic tradition. The second section presents current statistics on the circulation and consumption of Portugeuse mass media and recounts its historical development. The third section begins a close examination of media types by detailing the political and economic situations of Portuguese newspapers and magazines, while the fourth describes press associations and their governmental and economic connections. The fifth section details the state supported and Catholic radio stations and their formats, and the sixth section examines how television has become more dependent on government support, yet is supposedly free from political manipulation. A final section focuses on the development of mass communication education, describing the establishment of bachelor degree programs at Portuguese universities. The report concludes by examining, in brief, the current bleak state of professional journalism in Portugal and the threat posed to the press by proposed legislation that would seriously limit key rights of journalists. (CRH)