Morcellini: educating for free information

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The Agcom Commissioner proposes to focus on youth and on schools to regain the value of journalism activity

“The word Ossigeno is a comprehensive one, which well describes a cultural climate whose decline results in the diminution of participation and democracy “. Mario Morcellini, commissioner at Agcom (the regulator and competition authority for the communication industries in Italy), commented upon Ossigeno per l’Informazione’s data presented this morning as part of the conference ‘Journalists attacked, guilty unpunished’.

The professor of the sociology of cultural processes spoke about the loss of the value of information activities and the indifference of young people to quality information with an uncritical reliance on the Internet. But Morcellini went on to identify defects in journalism activity itself, too “lazy” and unable to grasp the complexity of today’s society. For Commissioner Agcom, another major problem is job insecurity, which he considered as the “damage inimical to freedom of information”.

To change “we must start again with the youth: journalism must become a theme for updating Italian education, introducing digital language in to the curriculum”. Moreover – added Morcellini – one must study more and collaborate with universities and Italian and foreign institutions “.

Finally, he invited the audience not to be pessimistic but to look to tomorrow with enthusiasm and a spirit of participation.

DEB- ADI