24 hour media strike

There will be no news in Italy today. All of the main newspapers, the radio, TV and most internet will not publish or broadcast for 24 hours as their reporters and editors are on strike to protest against a parliamentary bill dubbed the “gagging law”.

The bill proposes a law that the government, led by Silvio Berlusconi, claims will safeguard privacy but the mainstream public opinion, and that of editors, judges and prosecutors, believes that it is really intended to shield politicians.

If passed, the law will hinder the ability of police and prosecutors to record phone conversations and plant listening devices. Importantly, it will make it illegal for journalists to publish the transcripts of any recorded conversations. Investigators seeking to listen in on a suspect will need the permission of three judges.

The bill excludes mafia and terrorism investigations. But the police unions say it would cripple inquiries into offences such as moneylending and drug-trafficking which frequently lead investigators to organized criminals and terrorists.

VITAeurope is based in Milan and works out of the offices of the Italian third sector magazine VITA Non Profit. As such, we are adhereing to the strike and not publishing content on our website today.