“Censorship at RAI is commonplace,” says Alberico Giostra, radio newsreader at Italy’s public service broadcaster. Giostra had had his buttons pushed just once too often and decided to post changes made by the editorial desk to one of his news bulletin texts on Facebook. Now he’s facing the consequences. Reporter Angelo van Schaik looked him up in Rome for our New Year’s series ‘My Little Revolution’.
“People don’t normally say anything about the censorship,” confides the newsreader. He did, and is now threatened with being suspended, “because of damaging RAI’s image.” “Yeah, I didn’t know things like that still happened,” jokes the tall, wiry broadcaster. His dark eyes twinkle behind his glasses as he takes a big sip of his freshly squeezed orange juice.
[media:factfile]No gawkers
We’ve met up in a bar in the vicinity of RAI's studios. It was better not to talk at the location of the Italian broadcaster. “They don’t like anyone snooping around,” says Giostra indignantly.
About two months ago, during former prime minister and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi’s final days of rule, Giostra published a photograph of one his radio scripts on his Facebook profile page. A section of the text, written for a news bulletin for Radio Rai 1, was crossed out.
“It was about doubts prime minister Berlusconi had expressed to the president concerning the economic crisis and the strength of his government. The bulletin item was based on news from various sources – two news agencies and two national newspapers. But it contradicted the words Berlusconi fed to the public – that only his government was capable of leading the country through the crisis. The editor-in-chief didn’t think the public needed to know about that.”
‘Correction’
These kinds of political ‘corrections’ happen on a daily basis at the Italian national broadcaster. Every text has to be approved by the editor-in-chief before going on air.
“At RAI, we all know what we can and can’t write or say and that’s why many of my colleagues are complicit in imposing censorship, unfortunately.” He adds cynically: “Journalists who follow the rules and write what the politicians want to hear climb up the career ladder quicker and make more money.”
Many of Giostra’s colleagues don’t appreciate his Facebook action. They find him troublesome – he gets in their way. “I’ve had more support from outside, from listeners and friends than from my own colleagues. A few supported what he did, but the majority responded distantly and coldly. I’m afraid that’s the way it is.”
Reprimanded
RAI itself is also not happy about its critical newsreader employee. Alberico was reprimanded by an internal tribunal and will probably be suspended for a number of days – which means he'll earn less pay.
While the political climate is less tense since Berlusconi’s resignation, censorship still remains like an ingrained habit. RAI is a public company that’s run by the political parties. “Actually, all public organisations in Italy are controlled by politicians.”
Critical question
Many Italian journalists apparently don’t seem to mind that the newspapers they write for are owned by businessmen who regard their publication as a political instrument. Objective criticism of the company of the boss isn’t appreciated and isn’t done.
“In the south of the country press freedom doesn’t exist. The papers are in the hands of successful entrepreneurs who have strong ties with local politics. So if you put a critical question to the mayor of a town, a telephone call to the editor-in-chief will follow immediately after.”
This scenario doesn’t hold for all of the Italian media. “Even within RAI, there are more journalists like myself. People who are more independent and adhere to the journalistic code. But their life isn’t made easy.”
Alberico looks at his watch. “I have to go, I’m on the night shift. I always work at night to earn some more money. I can’t provide for my family – I’ve three children – if I do day shifts.”
The newsreader shakes my hand and off he goes.
