An increasing struggle for public broadcasters is political interference. While public broadcasters in Europe, and elsewhere, were established as independent providers, that premise has been under unending challenge. It goes without saying that some political actors prefer personal public relations services.
Acclaimed author Roberto Saviano is widely known in his native Italy. His 2006 best seller Gomorrah turned more than a few heads reporting on the infamous Camorra crime clans. The book was adapted for film in 2008, loosely for TV in 2014 then, of course, a video game. He continues to write extensively about organized crime in Italy, reports regularly appearing in La Repubblica and l’Expresso as well as the Washington Post and El Pais. He has fans and, of course, critics. Regular police protection in Italy has been provided since the publication of Gomorrah.
Sr. Saviano’s recent crime reporting project has been “Insiders: Face to face with crime” for public TV channel RAI 3. Four episodes appeared in 2022. New episodes were scheduled to air in November. Then they were abruptly cancelled. The writer called it “a political decision that fits into the larger strategy of using prosecution as a lock to keep you from working.” to La Stampa (July 27). “An enormous damage for all the people who worked on it: above all women, coordinated by a woman, who are paying for political revenge. Italy is a scary country. It’s impossible to take the program elsewhere. It belongs to the RAI, where there is no longer room for anti-mafia programs.”
The cancellation was announced by RAI chief executive Roberto Sergio, recently appointed to the position by the government. “The choice to cancel Saviano’s programme is a corporate and not a political choice,” he said, quoted by Il Messaggero (July 26). Differences of opinion within the RAI hierarchy rose as RAI president Marinella Soldi noted the Insiders series is “in the spirit of public service broadcasting,” quoted by news agency ANSA (July 27). "With all due respect to the institutions, I would like to call for further internal reflection in order to find a management solution in a reasonable timeframe, in the interest of viewers and the company, bearing in mind, among other things, that this is a programme that has already been recorded,” diverging from Sr. Sergio who implied a financial consideration for the cancellation.” Sr. Saviano described Sr. Sergio as “a humble servant, an office worker for the Lega,” referring to the political party led by Sr. Salvini.
“If a person criticises a minister, a TV program is cancelled, even if it is an anti-mafia TV program,” said Sr. Saviano to the Guardian (July 26). “They axed a program in which I would have talked about Don Peppe Diana, a priest killed by the Camorra. I would have talked about some mafia members turned police informers who revealed the relationship between the mafia and politics.” Fall scheduling for Insiders had been announced by RAI in early July.
Less than a week before the program’s cancellation Sr. Saviano publicly referred to former prime minister and current deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini as “minister of the underworld.” He has also criticized current prime minister Giorgia Meloni, rather dramatically. Sr. Saviano is enduring defamation lawsuits (SLAPP) from both.
This comes as Italian politicians - again - debate elements of the public contribution to RAI - the license fee financing. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti suggested (July 27) certain changes in that system to reduce individual monthly payments. One of his ideas is extending the license fee requirement to all mobile phone users. PM Meloni is attached to the idea of abolishing it completely.