President given “Much mafia, few news”

Ossigeno handed over to the Italian President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella the ECPMF facts-finding mission report

On the sidelines of the annual Ventaglio ceremony, held on Thursday 25 July 2019 at the Palazzo del Quirinale, the president of Ossigeno per l’Informazione, Alberto Spampinato, gave the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, a copy of the report “Much mafia, little news”. “I’ll read it,” said President Mattarella.

The report highlights the different obstacles – editorial, journalistic, political, criminal – that prevent Italian readers and viewers from knowing much information of great public interest.

The research was carried out by Ossigeno together with its partners from the European Center for Press and Media Freedom in Leipzig (ECPMF), with the support of the European Commission.

The study is based on 25 structured interviews with journalists, magistrates, jurists, experts and parliamentarians. A section is dedicated to the Italian system of protection of journalists who suffer threats because of their work. Of particular interest are the innovative proposals made by the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, Federico Cafiero De Raho. The text of the report (also published in English) can be downloaded free from the Ossigeno website at this link