The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organizations to release a mission report focusing on key challenges facing press freedom in Italy.

The report follows a three-day fact-finding mission to Rome and Naples by MFRR organizations from April 4-6, 2022, which was led by the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa.

The visit focused on two central topics: violence, intimidation and other threats against journalists emanating from organized crime, and vexatious prosecutions, SLAPPs and the urgent need for comprehensive civil and criminal defamation reform. in Italy.

The delegation’s findings were published today and launched at an event organized by the MFRR with a representative of the European Commission, as well as the Italian Federation of Journalists (FNSI), Articolo 21, the Order of Journalists and the Union of Journalists of Campania.

During the mission, meetings were held with the Constitutional Court, MPs, the police and several journalists, freelancers and reporters living under police escort due to mafia threats.

Throughout meetings with local stakeholders, it was confirmed that, taken together, these threats serve to undermine independent and critical journalism and press freedom in the country while having a significant detrimental impact on the safety of individual journalists and their professional and private lives. .

While the mission identified several good practices and positive developments that show recognition of the problem and the way forward towards its resolution, everyone must take additional steps to ensure a truly free and safe working environment for the Italian journalistic community.

Download a full copy of the report here.

🇮🇹 #Italy: IPI joined today @MediaFreedomEU partners in the publication of our new report examining the safety of journalists and threats of abusive prosecution in Italy. This follows our three-day fact-finding mission in April. @FnsiSocial @Artventuno @ODG_CNOGhttps://t.co/B7p6YVVS7Z pic.twitter.com/i2qd1MVnsz

— IPI – The Global Network of Independent Media (@globalfreemedia) May 11, 2022

This mission report was coordinated by the Rapi on media freedomd Answer (MFRR), a European mechanism that tracks, monitors and responds to press and media freedom violations in EU Member States and candidate countries.