The Power of Storytelling: Who Controls the Narrative in the Italian Media (and Who's Left Out)

Media pluralism in Italy is at risk, especially from a gender perspective. This is evidenced by the findings of the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM), which states that "in 2024, Italy will continue the trend of previous years: critical issues persist and show no signs of improvement."

Information pluralism in Italy

Overall, Italy is considered " medium " risk, roughly halfway through the European rankings and with an average risk of 51% (compared to a European average of 49%). Such a level of risk signals that something is wrong with the information system and that action is needed. One of the main issues highlighted by MPM concerns the strong ties between RAI and politics : "the distribution of key positions within the company reflects the balance of power between the parliamentary majority and the opposition," and this "has clear effects on the editorial line," the report states. Then there are the connections with the private sector political environment , as is the case with Fininveste and the Berlusconi family, but also with several parliamentarians with economic and financial roles or interests that overlap with their political activities, increasing the risk of interference.

The report also highlights how Italy is known for its high number of SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation), and the trend appears to be worsening. The indicator relating to the journalism profession remains the most problematic: widespread precariousness, increased threats and intimidation, poor protection of sources, and cases of surveillance against journalists and activists. "Threats against journalists increased by 16% compared to 2023," MPM reports, with "114 incidents reported to law enforcement" and 506 threats reported by the NGO Ossigeno per l'Informazione.

Market pluralism is considered a "medium-high risk" area, the analysis states, and political independence —although currently "medium-low risk"—is also approaching the next threshold. The same goes for the social inclusion parameter, which also concerns gender balance in the Italian information system .

Gender pluralism: Lack of female representation in the media

Starting with the good news, MPM notes that "in recent years, the topic of social inclusion in the Italian media has gained increasing prominence in public debate": "a shift has been observed in the way the media approach the representation of different social groups." However, the gender issue remains open and pressing: in GiULia Giornaliste, Roberta Carlini notes that this indicator is " among the most obvious red flags that the Media Pluralism Monitor Report highlights regarding the state of information in Italy."

"Women continue to be systematically underrepresented in governance and leadership roles in major national media," the report states. Almost all major Italian newspapers are edited by men, with only two exceptions : Agnese Pini , editor of the dailies that belong to Quotidiano Nazionale (La Nazione, Il Giorno, Il Resto del Carlino, Luce), and Nunzia Vallini , editor of the Giornale di Brescia. These are two out of 35 senior editorial positions. The public service RAI fares no better, in fact: "there is no female presence among the editors of corporate news outlets; of the 12 RAI radio channels, only three are directed by women; and of the 15 corporate structures dedicated to gender issues, only two are headed by a woman," MPM reports. Furthermore, two out of seven members of the board of directors are women.

On the other hand, the data regarding the representation of women in the media are positive , with "a significant increase in the time dedicated to women in radio and television programs, from 16.1% in 2022 to 32.8% in 2023." However, the report emphasizes that "this substantial increase was largely driven by the visibility of two female political leaders , representing the relative majority (Giorgia Meloni) and the main opposition party (Elly Schlein), respectively."

Why ensuring gender pluralism is essential

Ensuring true gender equality in the media is not just a matter of fairness, but an essential element for the democratic quality of information: when women (but also other minorities) are absent or marginalized in decision-making forums, the representation of society is distorted, partial, and less credible. Belgian philosopher Chantal Mouffe has emphasized the importance of an " agonistic democracy " in which different subjectivities can engage in productive relationships and conflict in the public space. In this sense, gender is one of the cornerstones of democratic conflict: information dominated by male, homogeneous perspectives, often tied to consolidated logics of power, stifles the possibility of pluralistic debate .

Gender pluralism is not just about who tells the stories, but also how they are told and whose voices gain visibility. As bell hooks states, "those who hold the power to tell stories also hold the power to construct reality ": if women's voices are denied space to express an autonomous and authoritative point of view, a biased and unequal information model is perpetuated.