Italian journalists protest against governing party insults
MILAN — Italy’s leaders sought to affirm their commitment to a free press Tuesday after journalists protested around the country against insults emanating from prominent figures in the governing 5-Star Movement.
Journalists gathered in piazzas in regional capitals to protest statements by 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio and another prominent official labeling journalists “prostitutes,” ”jackals,” and “intellectually and morally corrupt,” in reaction to coverage of a long corruption inquiry against Rome’s mayor that ended with an acquittal this weekend.
The trial, in which Mayor Virginia Raggi of the 5-Star Movement was accused of lying to anti-corruption officials, threatened not only to unseat her but also risked the reputation of the 5-Star Movement itself. After her acquittal, Di Maio and Alessandro Di Battista immediately lashed out at the media for its years-long coverage of the scandal.
Protesters called the attacks a threat to democracy and said they aimed to sound the alarm over “a political philosophy that is emerging around the globe,” scapegoating journalists. They also noted that the Raggi coverage differed little from coverage of other political leaders accused of scandals in the past.