[1]Italian media on Friday reacted angrily to the passage of a law curbing police wiretaps and new fines for media companies which publish transcripts.
The law, which was passed by the Italian Senate on Thursday, is opposed not only by most major newspapers and other media but also by magistrates who say it will hamper their efforts to fight organised crime and corruption. The left-leaning La Repubblica ran a blank front page containing a tiny message that said: “The gag law denies citizens the right to be informed”. “We are running a blank front page to tell readers ... that democracy has been short-circuited,” La Repubblica said in an editorial by its editor, Ezio Mauro. Le Repubblica, which has often been sued by Mr Berlusconi over its coverage of scandals, has been running a campaign in recent weeks opposing the law with notes saying “under the gag law you wouldn’t be able to read this article”. National daily, Corriere della Sera called it “a dark day” for justice while L’Unita, paper of the largest Opposition party, ran its headline with typeface used when Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini ran Italy.
Mr Silvio Berlusconi said the new rules were needed to protect privacy, but the Opposition has accused the government of disguising corruption with a law that will shield the Premier from prosecution. The bill will make it harder for investigators to obtain authorisation for wiretaps and authorises stiff fines on newspaper publishers and journalists who publish wiretaps before investigations reach trial. The Italian journalists union has called it a “gag” measure and announced a full-scale news blackout on July 9 when the bill is expected to complete its final reading in the Lower House.
By arrangement with AKI
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/int2jpg-328