Children are the future citizens of a nation and a preferred medium for imprinting and consolidating new social and political paradigms. By studying the literature delivered to them at a certain historical period, we are able to pinpoint the values that society (or its elite) is willing to pass on to its future generation. The magazine Notícias Miudinho (News for Youngsters), printed at the bottom of pages of the nationwide daily newspaper Diário de Notícias (Daily News) and covering a wide variety of topics, is one such case, offering a fresco of Portuguese society between 1924 and 1933. The period comprises the last two years of the First Portuguese Republic (1910-1926) followed by six years of a military dictatorship, when by 1933 the dictator António de Oliveira Salazar managed to impose himself to competing adversaries. A much impoverished Noticias Miudinho ended also in 1933.

Noticias Miudinho stems from the educational movement for all set in motion by the Republican elite in order to increase the literacy level of the population (24% in 1910). It was divided in sections fundamentally comprising stories, squibs, boy scouting, history and chorography, household management and, of course, science. Science dedicated sections included descriptions of experiments based on everyday life to illustrate physical phenomena accompanied by illustrative drawings, as well as more articulated articles explaining scientific fact and describing the industrial production of goods. Hygiene and physical health advice were also present. Noticias Miudinho appeared even as Diário de Notícias reported on the discussions running amongst the Portuguese elite about the future of the Portuguese industry and agriculture, and on how technical teaching should be implemented to cope with the necessities of modern industry and commerce. All accompanied by the exaltation of the Portuguese race headed by sanctified historical figures.

Based on a comprehensive survey of articles popularizing science, technology and health topics printed in Noticias Miudinho from 1924 to 1933, I intend to show how they tuned with the on-going Portuguese political agenda. If by 1924 Notícias Miudinho mirrored the “National Rebirth” ideology dominating Portuguese society, it progressively adjusted to the ensuing simplifications of the official educational program promoted by the military after 1926.

On one hand, I intend to discuss how the study of the transmission of scientific and technological knowledge through the press can shed light on the techno-scientific construction of societies. On the other hand, as Noticias Miudinho contains the seed for right-wing and fascist oriented politics that will appear in Portugal as well as in other European countries, it would be interesting to understand if Noticias Miudinho is unique among these countries.