We say it with a strangled voice. As journalists, as well as citizens, we are very concerned. We read the report released yesterday “Silencing the Fourth Estate. Italy’s Democratic Drift” edited by Media Freedom Rapid Response. We quote the incipit: “Since the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni took office, media freedom in Italy has been subjected to increasing pressure, with unprecedented attacks and violations of press freedom.” It is shameful.
At this point we were thinking of finding a more serious job, when we noticed who co-financed the study. The European Union. Which in itself does not speak in favor of impartiality. Then we went to look at the names of the journalists interviewed to draft the report. They are: a colleague from Radio Popolare, one from Fatto quotidiano, two from Domani, one from Stampa, one from «Fada Collective», one from La7 and one from Repubblica. A parterre, you will understand, that confirms the pluralism of the sources of the dramatic report.
Then, faced with such an example of media independence, we said to ourselves: okay, let’s read some articles about the report, maybe there will be a critical comment.
But in Repubblica the piece is written by the same journalist who collaborated on the report. And the same thing in Fatto quotidiano. And so on Domani. At this point there was no point in checking the other newspapers. We had already understood that it was really like that.
In Italy the state of information is terrible.