Here is the (full) Report document calling for Ranucci to be placed under administration. Is it a forgery or the truth? A poll is urgently needed

Lavitola was searching for the left’s ‘third man’. He was poised to launch Ranucci into politics; he was ready to spring a surprise on him – a bombshell. In every sense of the word. Lavitola has been arrested, but what remains today is that poll with questions compiled by Stefano Cappellini, who now heads La Repubblica (alongside Paolo Mieli – no scandal there). What remains is the innkeeper who is friends with politicians and who even cooks in the newsroom. Conte and Schlein’s annoyance at that poll remains, as does the question of who will succeed Ranucci. Ranucci’s ‘Ranuccis’ are on their way. The self-imposed suspension of Report – which has been reported on for days, first by Il Messaggero and then by Il Giornale – was planned using this document, published here in full, which the Report community describes as ‘a forgery’. On reading it, it is the most rigorous piece of work Report has produced to date. It is a self-regulatory text of which Report should even be proud. First and foremost, the preamble confirms Report’s status as a ‘free zone’ within the RAI. It states: “In the Italian journalistic landscape, Report is one of the last bastions of freedom and independence. Our methodology and organisational structure are unrivalled by any other national news outlet or editorial team: the ability to independently choose an investigative topic, to develop it over months and, once all evidence has been gathered and all checks carried out, to broadcast it without prior censorship is now a luxury that very few journalists in Italy can afford.”

It is the journalists themselves who are speaking out for the first time about “freedom” – an unconditional liberty that effectively debunks the narrative of a besieged Report. It continues: “This is what makes Report unique, and we must defend it at all costs. Investigative journalism, which probes and challenges power without limits and without censorship or self-censorship, is one of the essential foundations of modern Western democracies: silencing or, worse still, normalising Report therefore also means weakening our country’s democracy”. We are of the view that whoever attacks Report attacks the country, and that Report serves as a barometer of freedom. The text calls for rigour: “For days now, Report has been the victim of extremely violent attacks which, however, form part of a campaign to delegitimise the programme that has been underway for several years. The best way to respond to this campaign to discredit and destabilise our identity is to continue doing our work with even greater rigour, even greater independence and even greater professionalism. This objective can only be achieved with the full commitment of all members of this editorial team: filmmakers, editors, production staff, editors-in-chief, writers and correspondents.” There is talk of an emergency phase and changes to the internal structure: “For this reason, for the duration of this emergency phase, we propose to modify the programme’s internal structure with the aim of making future editorial decisions more participatory, more collaborative and more coordinated in this way.”

The following is a general outline: “Co-authors. We are asking that the presenter of Report be supported by two co-authors whose role is to liaise on a daily basis with the rest of the editorial team. The co-authors must act as a link between the various editorial departments, editorial coordination and the editorial board. Establishing this principle is the foundation for a new approach that no longer relies on bilateral personal relationships”. It is the Report community that speaks of bilateral personal relationships…”. A structure is taking shape, and it is as follows: “Editorial Committee: a vital body for the day-to-day running of the editorial team would be the Editorial Committee, representing all departments of the programme, and therefore comprising the programme’s executive producer, representatives of the correspondents, the editorial coordinator, a web manager, a tips manager, the chief editor of editing, and the filmmakers’ coordinator”. The most sensitive aspect concerns the “Co-ordination of Correspondents”. Here is the relevant paragraph: “It is necessary to establish a co-ordination team comprising the correspondents/authors and the editorial coordinator (the person who must have a daily overview of all editorial processes and the progress of the pieces). Their role is to share proposals for ongoing investigations and their progress, and to circulate information and opinions aimed at defining the editorial line together with the presenter and the two co-authors. The correspondents’ coordination team should be convened on a regular and consistent basis throughout the season.” The final section is devoted to ‘plenary meetings’ because, as the Report journalists would put it: ‘It is necessary to institutionalise the regular convening of plenary meetings, attended by all Report departments, with the aim of discussing critical issues and any proposals. Even greater rigour, even greater independence, even greater professionalism. As demonstrated by the court rulings on the lawsuits we have faced, Report’s standards for verifying information in the pieces it broadcasts remain among the highest within Italian newsrooms; however, in recent times, due to the acceleration of production times, we have taken excessive risks on some occasions.”

It is, as ever, the Report community that speaks of ‘biased information’. Let us continue: ‘For this reason, a rigorous internal chain of checks on reports must be procedurally reinstated prior to broadcast to avoid errors or “biased” information. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that Report’s mission is to investigate the dynamics and distortions of power, regardless of the political leanings of those involved’. In the final section, the criticism is directed at Ranucci, without ever mentioning him by name: “For this reason, we believe that participating in electoral or party events organised by political figures, or broadcasting politicians’ statements on one’s own channels, damages the programme’s credibility.” Ranucci’s rise and Lavitola’s arrest today form part of a menu: the first course was Rai, the second was journalism. The dessert: the creation of a leader. The bill is that opinion poll.