Interview with Enzo Iacopino

Enzo Iacopino is secretary-general of the Italian National Association of Journalists. The first festival day started with his speech. Enzo told us about serious things such as the death of journalism and words of wisdom about our mission. He has a great experience in journalism, and knows the situation in Italy perfectly, moreover he answered all the questions which interested young journalists. 

One of my professors from university said that a journalist should have enough money for a bus ticket, but not for a car, because he must be among ordinary people and hear what they are talking about. What do you think about the salary of journalists?

“Using public transport and not private cars help to save the environment. It’s a pity to hear that some journalists have such small salaries. They have to be close to people, because they are the link between them and news, but it doesn’t mean we need to be poor. At the same time, it’s also scandalous when some journalists earn really good money like a million euros per year”.

In this festival many speakers spoke about the mafia and how young journalists have just  started writing about it. Do you think they’re doing it because they find it romantic and want to be heroic?

“There are no romantic things about the mafia. The mafia kills people, their dreams and the country’s development. There are a lot of journalists who are covering this issue in Italy. But they do it because it’s their duty. Unfortunately, journalists who are doing it are taking a lot of risks. Their job has a limit. Many young people work in areas where the mafia is strong. We remember the deaths of Falcone and Borsellino, they were killed by the mafia because they were searching for the truth. But also those journalists whom are covering mafia issues are not alone. The responsibility of all Italian journalists and society is to support them”.

What about intimidation in Italy? How often does the mafia use it to influence journalists?

“There are many reasons for intimidation not only used by the mafia. The worst intimidation comes from colleagues, the heads of newspapers. And I want to add that ordinary people sometimes also don’t want to support journalists because they’re scared. For example, some time ago I went to a meeting in a small city in southern Italy where the mafia is very strong, and only a few people came to communicate with journalists. Maybe they weren’t interested in it, but local organizations and the city’s governments have rarely supported us. There is a gap between society and journalists and our organization ODG helps to fill it”. 

Do you think that newspapers will be replaced by internet media in some years?

“I was born and grew up with newspapers so I’m a bit romantic about it. I hope that newspapers will exist forever. There are many books on-line, but there are special feelings attached to books when you touch the paper. It’s something that can’t be replaced. The evolution of technology has just started and it isn’t going to stop. But information on the internet must be more professional, because there are many projects such as Wikipedia that are written by unknown people, and aren’t checked . In Italy people have many possibilities to use the internet but in many countries the situation is quite different. Only a few people can connect to the internet, so newspapers there have no alternatives”.
 

In Belarus more than 50 per cent of the medias are owned by the government and the situation with freedom of information isn’t good. I know that in Italy the owner is Berlusconi, how Italian medias can be independent?

“Sure, the situation in Italy is wrong; countries where the leader of the country is so influent in mass media are just a few. But we have to say, that none of the political parties found a solution for this problem. There are no laws about it. Of course, there is propaganda in his media and he has a strong influence. But he isn’t the owner of all the information in Italy. There are public channels (RAI 1, RAI 2, RAI 3), which are under the government control. Those people who invest money in media rarely think about journalism, quality and ideas. They want to use it for improving their views”. 

Nobody likes journalists. Do you agree with it?

“So, we don’t have a good reputation, we’ve made researches which have shown that people think we aren’t prepared as mush as we should be. And that we have a strange relationship with political and economic power.  Italian citizens feel the necessity to have better information”.

Italian journalists write a lot about the mafia, why isn’t it punished, if we readers can know even their names?

“The mafia people are free because there are many places in Italy where the state isn’t so powerful. It’s present only for its trying to repress the criminal.  It means that there are no answers for this question. The journalists in Italy are not instrument of the police. Many years ago one Italian journalist was collaborating with the secret agency and when it was discovered his name got deleted from the members’ list of our organization. To be a journalist is to be independent”.

Is that the mission of journalists?

“We are witnesses of the truth; we are the eyes of the citizens around the world. In this way Italian people can choose in a material way and not a superficial way. When a journalist is under the pressure of intimidation he shouldn’t be silent but he needs to talk to report information. He can escape from dangerous situation. The line of ODG is simple but at the same time complicated. I want to mention one name, Pippo Tava, he was killed by the mafia some years ago. So each thing that you do has comported human cost for other people. There are two options, you can stay as a journalist: with a state, or with a criminal state”.

Anastasiya Mialeshka

(con la collaborazione di Alessandro Di Maio)