Journalists urge Brussels to safeguard Italy’s media freedom

4 months ago 16

The Italian government is trying to silence dissent and take control of public media, the European Movement International and several European organisations said in a letter to European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová as the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) raised the alarm over political influence in the country’s media.

The letter, signed by European Movement International (EMI), the Italian Trade Union of Journalists FNSI, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), refers to accusations against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government over exerting undue influence on national broadcaster RAI.

“The independence of the media in Italy has come under significant pressure. The government of Giorgia Meloni has increasingly exerted its power over RAI,” the letter that urges the Commission to launch an investigation on Italy’s press freedom reads.

In Italy, journalists and media outlets have reportedly faced sustained attacks from government officials, which have stifled dissenting voices and undermined the media’s independence.

The Commission should “investigate these governmental attempts to capture media and public information, in accordance with the standards of the European Media Freedom Act and the EU’s fundamental values,” it adds.

The letter comes one week after Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) conducted an urgent mission to Rome to assess press freedom ahead of the European elections.

“The state of media freedom in Italy raises significant concerns. The trend of political interference and strategic lawsuits undermines democratic principles and threatens the essential independence and pluralism of a free press,” the MFRR report states.

During its visit to Rome, the MFRR delegation met with officials from various institutions, journalists and trade unions. However, several requests to meet with government officials were “refused or ignored”.

While political influence on RAI is not new, MFRR’s interviews with RAI journalists revealed an “unprecedented level of pressure and self-censorship.”

They also condemned the possible acquisition of major news agency Agi by Lega MP Antonio Angelucci, who already owns several prominent Italian newspapers.

The association said this acquisition poses a serious threat to the editorial independence of one of Italy’s most important news agencies.

“If any acquisition bid for the news agency AGI concretises, regulators … should conduct a thorough and transparent evaluation and consider the impact on media pluralism, editorial independence, and conflict of interest”.

In its recommendations, MFRR calls on the Italian parliament, together with independent experts and the journalists’ organisations, to “initiate a comprehensive reform of the legislation regulating Italian public broadcasters in line with Article 5 of the European Media Freedom Act” and urges the Italian parliament to carry out a comprehensive reform of defamation laws to bring them into line with EU and international standards on freedom of expression.

(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)