Italian public TV journalists strike against government’s tightening grip

5 months ago 20

Journalists at Italy’s public broadcaster RAI went on strike on Monday to protest against staff shortages, budget cuts and the denial of fair contracts for those working on the network’s news programmes – or what they called “suffocating control” by the government.

The strike against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government follows the abrupt cancellation of a planned monologue by anti-fascist Italian writer Antonio Scurati to commemorate Italy’s liberation from fascism on 25 April – a move that some say shows how RAI is being turned into a “government mouthpiece”.

“We’ve always advocated for keeping political parties out of RAI. We challenge the Renzi reform, which subjected RAI to the control of successive governments. We hope that the Media Freedom Act will assist us in this regard,” said Daniele Macheda, secretary of Usigrai, the union representing the striking journalists, at a press conference on Monday to explain the reasons for the strike.

Usigrai denounced political efforts to turn RAI into a “government mouthpiece” and highlighted several grievances, including the merging of publications without discussion with the unions, the lack of replacements for those who retire or go on maternity leave, the lack of a public selection process for new hires, and the reduction in salaries through the abolition of performance bonuses.

Vittorio di Trapani, a RAI journalist and head of the Italian National Press Federation (FNSI), who was also present at the press conference, said that his organisation had always fought against all attempts to gag freedom of expression, but declared that “what has been happening in recent months is unprecedented.”

On Sunday, Usigrai published an animated video explaining the reasons for the strike, but the RAI management responded by accusing the journalists of striking for “ideological and political reasons” that “have nothing to do with workers’ rights”

Political influence over RAI is a long-standing issue in the country, as its board members are appointed by the parliament and the government, and chosen according to party affiliation. It has also been a way for governments to reward loyal supporters with top jobs.

Maja Sever, president of the European Federation of Journalists, lamented Italy’s failure to uphold the independence of public broadcasting.

“For years we have been calling for greater independence for public broadcasting in Italy,” she said.

“Instead of following the spirit of the new European Media Freedom Act, which will consolidate the independence of public broadcasters in Europe, the Italian government is engaging in a political capture of RAI,” she added.

The strike comes just days after Italy’s press freedom rating was downgraded by Reporters Without Borders, putting the country in the “problematic” category alongside other EU members such as Poland and Hungary.

Among the reasons cited for the downgrade was the planned takeover of Italy’s second news agency, AGI, by Antonio Angelucci, a lawmaker who already controls three conservative dailies and belongs to Matteo Salvini’s Lega, currently a member of the three-party coalition.

(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)