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Free Media in Italy
(Photo: fulmini & saette’s/Flickr)
Over the course of Autumn 2009 European Alternatives ran a transnational campaign trying to persuade the European Parliament to express a vote of condemnation on the increasingly worrying situation of media freedom and pluralism in Italy.
The campaign was succesful in leading to a vote in the European Parliament, which did not pass for just three voices. We are planning to pick up the campaign in 2010 with new tools and a new strategy of direct citizens’ involvement.
On this page you can find some of the material of our campaign. Join our newsletter from the right-side menu bar to receive information on future actions.
Dismaying Vote in the European Parliament on Media Freedon in Italy
European Alternatives regrets the outcome of the vote in the European Parliament: it will be a blow to humiliated and intimidated journalists in Italy, and will hand back a glimmer of hope to Mr. Berlusconi’s discredited government, who will hail it as proof of Italy’s free press. All studies done on the subject highlight Italy’s lack of media freedom: by disregarding such researched information, the EPP and their allies have spurned the very founding values of the European Union.
Video: Brussels Press Conference with Daniel Cohn-Bendit
European Parliament Press Room, Wednesday 7th of October, 2PM. We are pleased to announce European Alternatives is co-organising a Press Conference in Brussels together with the Group of the European Greens on the State of the Media in Italy.
Dossier State of Media in Italy
We just published a Dossier on the state of Media Freedom and Pluralism in Italy, concluding that lack of pluralism and evidence of media intimidation in Italy breach the fundamental values of the European Union. The European Institutions have the authority to condemn intimidation of the press in Italy, and potentially to open legal proceedings.
Letters of MEPs in support of Media Freedom Campaign
The European Parliament is studying the possibility of taking a position on the risk of a violation to media freedom and pluralism in Italy, and has called a first plenary assembly for October 7th, in Brussels, to discuss the issue. On the 22nd of October a vote will take place on a resolution, and we urge our fellow MEPs to support it.
Press Release: European Parliament Agrees to Debate Media Situation on October 8
On Thursday 17th September leaders of the European political parties have agreed to call a mini-plenary session on the 8th of October to discuss the state of media freedom and pluralism in Italy.
MEPs Join Campaign for Free Media in Italy
Over ten MEPs have already joined the campaign for the European Parliament to pass a resolution in plenary condemning all attempts of intimidation of the press.
The “Italian anomaly” and a dangerous precedent
A lack of a European response to the intimidation of the press in Italy poses a direct threat to the right of liberty of expression throughout the European Union, and limits the authority of any European condemnation of censorship in the rest of the world.
Press Release: Launch of Campaign
Lack of a European response to the intimidation of the press in Italy poses a direct threat to the right of liberty of expression throughout the European Union, puts in jeopardy progress in former Soviet countries admitted into the Union, and limits the authority of any European condemnation of censorship in the rest of the world.
