Newspapers hit back at Meloni over rule-of-law report

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 30 - Newspapers critical of the government on Tuesday hit back after Premier Giorgia Meloni accused them of "manipulation" in relation to parts of the European Commission's 2024 Rule of Law report highlighting concerns about press freedom in Italy.
    At the weekend Meloni wrote to the Commission about the report.
    Speaking to reporters during her official visit to China on Tuesday, Meloni said: "the European Commission reports the critical tones of some interest holders, let's call them stakeholders: (daily newspapers) Il Domani, il Fatto Quotidiano, La Repubblica.
    "But the Commission is not my direct interlocutor," she continued.
    "Those who manipulate that report are.
    "Besides, the report does not say anything particularly new with respect to previous years".
    In an editorial Domani Editor-in-chief Emiliano Fittipaldi said Meloni's words were "serious, false and, above all dangerous" and accused her of "victimhood".
    "Those comments were followed by articles by right-wing, supposedly liberal newspapers that made a sort of blacklist of colleagues (like our Francesca De Benedetti and Nello Trocchi), who are 'guilty' of having spoken to the media freedom observers," Fittipaldi said.
    La Repubblica.said Meloni was continuing to fail to respond to the observations made in the report and said her comments "betray her illiberal idea of journalism and of the role journalism has in an accomplished democracy".
    Italian journalists union FNSI also responded to Meloni's comments, saying "blacklists are a risk for democracy".
    Centre-right figures, on the other hand, expressed indignation at a writer for State broadcaster Rai, Riccardo Cassini, over a post making fun of Meloni having taken her daughter with her to China.
    They said it showed allegations Rai was being made to do the government's bidding were false and showed the need for its governance to be reformed. (ANSA).