An Italian parliamentary committee has launched an investigation into “misinformation” on Italian television amid a war over the frequent appearance of Russians on television during the war in Ukraine.
The parliamentary committee for the Security of the Republic, which oversees the Intelligence services, announced yesterday that it has summoned the heads of the Italian public television network, the State Security service and the Communications regulatory authority.
The commission will investigate “foreign interference and misinformation … with particular reference to the war between Russia and Ukraine”.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has taken a hard line on Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, but opinion polls show that in Italy, unlike the rest of the G7 European countries (G7, Britain, France and Germany), support public opinion on arms shipments to Ukraine is low.
Italy’s RAI television network and Italy’s four largest private television networks regularly host Russian journalists on their newscasts to discuss the war with their Italian counterparts in a divisive approach.
While some commentators say it is right to hear both sides of the conflict, others condemn the fact that Russian propagandists are given television time.
Fighting has escalated since Sunday, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov selected the private network Rete 4 to give his first interview on a European television network since the invasion began.
Critics say the interviewing journalist did not repel or interrupt Lavrov adequately. Some said the Russian minister should not even have appeared. Draghi himself said the next day that the interview “was not very good”.
Some experts and commentators have begun to refuse to participate in news programs on Italian television, protesting against the time given to Russian propaganda.
Natalie Tocchi, director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs, declined to appear on a television program on Tuesday, saying she “does not want to be an accomplice to the misinformation.”
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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