Chief editor as “overseer” of his colleagues

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Marco Tarquinio spoke about himself, as chief editor of “Avvenire”, recounting the story of the reporter Nello Scavo, who was under guard for an investigation into a human trafficker

“Today the biggest burden for a newspaper editor is to be the instigator who determines the fate of some colleagues. A chief editor would never want to get to this point “. The chief editor of the daily Avvenire, Marco Tarquinio, took the opportunity of the conference organized by Ossigeno per l’Informazione in the Italian Senate, to describe his own experience as chief editor and to talk about the story of Nello Scavo, the reporter of Avvenire who ended up under police protection following his investigation into a human trafficker known with the name of Bija.

“As a chief editor I have a different but unenviable position – Tarquinio said – I share the responsibility for what my colleagues do or don’t do and yet, I am not under threat”.

The chief editor noted that “the silence of the Italian press on the Libyan situation and on the tragic migrations has been too great. We – he said of his newspaper – have tried to tell the stories and in depth “.

“Our country – concluded Tarquinio – is one of those in which people read less and where there are more controls. Widespread information has a plurality of channels through which the powerful can speak directly to public opinion. Words and slogans have become the majority opinion. Legitimacy has been given to falsehoods as much as to true facts”.

“If we stopped doing our job at this time, we would be crazy and irresponsible; you have to show your face but also your chest,” he said.

Livia Tripiciano