Catarina Carvalho

Editor and Founder, Mensagem de Lisboa (Portugal)

Catarina Carvalho is a Portuguese journalist and media entrepreneur who founded Mensagem de Lisboa, a community-driven media outlet that acts as a hub of stories for the city of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Having served as publisher and editor in traditional media, she moved to a more exciting world of media innovation, shifting her focus to urban reporting, a “journalism as a service” model that prioritizes the community — namely with the Mensagem de Lisboa Live project, an innovative “live journalism” initiative that brings stories to life on a physical stage. These events feature neighbors and local citizens as the primary storytellers, often accompanied by live illustrators and musicians to create an immersive, multimodal experience that fosters deep civic engagement. It is another way of fullfilling Mensagem’s mission of effectively bridging the gap between mainstream media and overlooked communities while redefining what it means to be a “local” journalist in the digital age. Catarina is also an American affairs analyst at CNN Portugal, journalism teacher and a member of the World Editors Forum board.