Report’s long-serving correspondent Nerazzini calls Ranucci a “mafioso”: “Megalomaniac and desperate”

“Exhausted, yet not surprised, I must address the falsehoods spouted by Sigfrido Ranucci about me on Wednesday 30 September in his umpteenth rambling and vitriolic post.” Thus begins the lengthy message that Alberto Nerazzini – an investigative journalist, first at Report (where he was a long-serving correspondent) and later on La7 in a programme with Corrado Formigli – posted on Facebook in response to the former presenter of the Rai 3 programme. At the heart of it all, as Nerazzini himself explains, is a clip (broadcast by the programme Filorosso) from a panel discussion entitled ‘The Report Case’, held on Sunday 27 September in Modena as part of the DIG Awards, the investigative journalism festival co-founded by Nerazzini. In the video, Nerazzini stated that Ranucci is in no way left-wing – as evidenced by his close relationship with Lavitola – and claimed to have suffered “three instances of censorship at the hands of Sigfrido Ranucci, the symbol of independent journalism”. The former presenter of Report, in sharing the clip, sought to refute Nerazzini’s claims, explaining the reasons behind the three “censures” and also attacking Report journalist Giorgio Mottola. He too – as we report here – was on that very same stage.

Nerazzini’s response arrived a few hours ago. “Sigfrido Ranucci, who for just under a year has been the victim of a terrible attack and who knows how long he has been suffering from various explosive conditions, further exacerbated by seasonal ailments (of the country), endemic forms of megalomania and daily immersions in ‘his people’,” he wrote. "The situation is desperate, as is the man himself, to whom I have tried for days not to respond because it is almost impossible to do so without matching his tone – and his tone is a lethal mix of insinuation, mafia-like behaviour and falsehoods." 

The post reviews every explanation provided by Ranucci. Regarding the first ‘censored’ investigation (“who knows, perhaps the new management at Report might be interested”, says Nerazzini), he states: “As a senior executive, I prevented the affair from getting either Rai or Nerazzini himself into trouble. I have evidence and witness statements to prove this.” For Nerazzini, however, “everything Ranucci adds is not only false, it is defamatory. I take comfort in the fact that the undeniable curiosity about the ‘evidence and testimonies’ can still be satisfied, because this is a matter for legitimate legal action and independent lawyers”, he writes.

The matter becomes more serious when, in his post, Ranucci writes: “As for other matters — such as the collections we organised as a group to buy back from Nerazzini the production equipment that had been stolen in a series of burglaries — I prefer to remain silent.” Nerazzini replies: “There it is, that petty-mafia tone laden with insinuations. ‘My friendship with Lavitola is exceptional and well-known; after all, he is the only person who, during these turbulent months, I have never offended and to whom I have never levelled even a single, albeit justified, word of criticism – but it is a friendship that must truly be built on solid foundations,’ writes the journalist. “However, on this point I will not compromise, and I am addressing the person I have known for some twenty years and with whom I worked for about ten. Do not presume, dear Sigfrido, to speak recklessly about the deeply painful and brutal events that have affected my professional and personal life, and which have also heavily involved my partner.” 

Nerazzini denies the existence of the fundraising campaign mentioned by Ranucci: “This latest and intolerable falsehood can easily be refuted by dozens of colleagues and contributors to Report.” He then concludes by returning to his original point. “A festival like DIG simply had to address the affair concerning you, which is engulfing a programme to which so many of us are attached – not just ‘your people’,” writes the journalist. “When journalists or magistrates fail to work properly and ethically, any democracy falters and goes straight to hell. Simple as that.”