■In Italy, although the number of alerts decreased in 2024 compared to the previous year, the situation is getting increasingly critical for journalists, public service media and independent media. The underlying issues identified in 2023, including the alerts about the independence of public television, are still unresolved. The authorities have yet to respond to the 2023 alerts regarding political appointments at RAI161 and the cancellation of Roberto Saviano’s show.
■In 2024, Italy was featured on the Council of Europe Platform through a systemic alert addressing its defamation legislation, 163 along with four alerts concerning physical attacks on journalists and three alerts related to harassment and intimidation.
■Amidst a context of media freedom backsliding, the Media Freedom Rapid Response a network of six media freedom and journalists’ organisations, conducted an urgent mission on 16-17 May 2024. Their report, published on 29 July 2024,164 offers an analysis of the three most urgent issues identified:
► the unprecedented political interference in the public service broadcaster RAI;
► government members’ legal harassment of dissenting journalists;
► the potential acquisition of AGI news agency by MP Antonio Angelucci, a member of Parliament of the far-right party Lega, who already controls several major newspapers.
■The MPM2024 also highlights concerns over the independence of the public service media in Italy.165 In its conclusions, the report refers to ‘concerning signals regarding journalists’ conditions and their susceptibility to pressures and threats. Pending reforms in criminal defamation laws and legal safeguards against SLAPPs contribute to this risk, aggravated by the rise in criminal and civil lawsuits against journalists, including by government officials. Economic instability and inadequate protections for younger media professionals exacerbate risks to journalists’ safety, while debates over restrictions on judicial information access persist’.
■The MPM2024 report underlines that the 2024 Budget Law reduced the television subscription fee for private use from €90 to €70, ‘raising further questions about the adequacy of public funding and, consequently, the independence of RAI’.
■On 7 November 2024, during a hearing organised by senator Barbara Floridia in the Italian Senate,166 European Broadcasting Union’s Director General Noel Curran denounced the insufficient funding of RAI: ‘Public service media must receive adequate funding to fulfil their crucial democratic, economic, social and cultural roles’, he said. ‘RAI’s funding increased by only 3% between 2019 and 2023, amid high inflation and rising pro duction costs in Europe. And the Italian licence fee is currently one of the lowest ones in the EU. Only Greece and Portugal rank lower. Consequently, RAI’s five-year funding growth has been significantly lower than the average 11% increase in nominal funding experienced by other European public service media.’
■The combination of political influence over public broadcasting and the strategic use of defamation lawsuits poses a serious challenge to Italy’s media freedom. Press freedom groups are calling for stronger protections to safeguard journalistic independence and prevent legal intimidation tactics from undermining critical reporting.
Original Report 2025
https://rm.coe.int/prems-013425-gbr-2519-annual-report-2025-correction-cartooning/1680b48f7b
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