“Telemeloni”. Italian public television under fire after canceling government opposition

As a public broadcaster whose top management has long been chosen by politicians, RAI’s independence has always been a matter of debate. But the coming to power of Meloni, who formed a coalition with Matteo Salvini’s far-right League party and Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing Forza Italia party, redoubled concerns.

A few months after Meloni took office, RAI’s then-executive president, Carlo Fuortes – appointed by former prime minister Mario Draghi – resigned, complaining of a “political conflict” over his role. To replace him, the government appointed Roberto Sergio, who said he intended to air “a new narrative”.

In December, RAI senior editor Paolo Corsini was heavily criticized after attending a meeting of the Brothers of Italy, where he sided with Meloni’s party.

Earlier this month, the European Federation of Journalists raised concerns about a change in rules on political balance, allowing more airtime for ministers discussing government affairs on RAI ahead of European Parliament elections.

A RAI journalist, who spoke to the France-Presse news agency on condition of anonymity, said “the climate is not healthy”.

This weekend, the RAI journalists’ union, Usigrai, accused managers of trying to “silence” Scurati and of a “broader suffocating control system that is harming the RAI, its employees and all citizens”.

But RAI general director Giampaolo Rossi reacted on Monday by condemning the idea of ​​censorship as “completely unfounded”. He stated that an investigation into Scurati’s cancellation had been launched – while condemning “surreal reconstructions” surrounding “yet another attempted attack on the RAI”. The station’s programming aimed to ensure the “greatest possible heterogeneity of stories”, he insisted.