Italian media landscape faces major shake-up as proposed sale of GEDI Group newspapers sparks protests and calls for the government to intervene.
Italy’s government on Friday stepped into the controversy surrounding talks over the proposed sale of two of the country’s leading newspapers, La Repubblica and La Stampa, to Greek media giant Antenna.
The GEDI group, owned by the Agnelli-Elkann family’s holding company Exor, confirmed to its editorial staff this week that it intends to sell its assets by January, leading to protests and strikes by journalists at the left-leaning La Repubblica and La Stampa.
After months of rumours, Exor confirmed that it is in exclusive talks with Antenna, led by Greek shipping magnate Theodore Kyriakou, for the sale of most of GEDI’s media assets, which include the two newspapers as well as news outlet HuffPost and radio stations Deejay, Capital and m2o.
During a meeting in Rome on Friday, Alberto Barachini, the undersecretary in charge of information and publishing, urged GEDI executives to safeguard jobs and editorial independence at La Repubblica and La Stampa, Reuters reports.
Established in 1988, Antenna operates 37 television channels in Europe, North America and Australia, in addition to streaming, radio and digital services.
Strike action
GEDI representatives met the editorial boards of La Repubblica and La Stampa on Wednesday to provide information regarding the proposed sale, confirming that talks were at an advanced stage and that the sale should be completed by January.
The meeting, described by La Stampa’s editorial staff as “disconcerting, disheartening and humiliating”, led to industrial action by journalists at both newspapers.
The editorial board of La Stampa decided not to publish the newspaper, despite the request of director Andrea Malaguti, given that Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella was scheduled to visit the newspaper’s headquarters in Turin on Thursday in a sign of solidarity over last month’s attack on its editorial offices.
The visit by the president was duly cancelled, with La Stampa journalists holding a publishing blackout and declaring themselves in “permanent assembly”. They have requested a clause for employment continuity in the sale.
La Repubblica journalists declared a strike for Friday — with no website updates or Saturday newspaper — and are prepared for a “season of struggle”. They have demanded job guarantees and respect for the paper’s political and editorial line.
Fate of La Stampa
Complicating the proposed sale is the fact that the Antenna group is not interested in acquiring La Stampa which was established in 1867.
The most advanced option for La Stampa currently involves NEM, a group of entrepreneurs from the northern Veneto region who previously purchased other regional newspapers from GEDI.
Selling La Stampa off separately raises concerns because its technical, digital and social media sectors are shared with the rest of the GEDI group, Il Post reports.
News of the talks was confirmed officially this week after GEDI issued a statement refuting reports that negotiations were underway with Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, son of EssilorLuxottica founder Leonardo Del Vecchio, specifying that it was in exclusive talks with the Antenna group.
Political reaction
Opposition political parties have raised concerns for editorial independence and urged the right-wing government of premier Giorgia Meloni to intervene, as well as joining trade unions in demanding the protection of jobs.
The centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) has called on the Meloni coalition to use its so-called golden powers — special legislation which grants the government the right to vet, condition or veto corporate takeovers if deemed in the national interest — in relation to the deal.
“We are extremely concerned about the risks of weakening or even dismantling a fundamental bastion of democracy” – PD leader Elly Schlein said – “At stake is not just a publishing group, but the country’s historical and civic heritage.”
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