“It’s one thing if there are third-party and impartial journalists, but if there are journalists who are actually opinion makers, who rather than asking questions offer answers, must fall within the rules of equal conditions like politicians. Either it is argued that only politicians are confronted in the various in-depth programs during the electoral campaign, or there must be rules that guarantee anyone who participates to do so in compliance with the rules on pluralism”. Maria Elena Boschi does not give in on her proposal and raiseson Libero, the need to modify the regulation on equal conditions in order to “guarantee that citizens can form their opinion freely and all candidates can have the same opportunities in view of the vote”.
“I don’t see why – adds parliamentarian Iv – we should apply only to political leaders and not to anyone who can, with their political opinions, influence citizens, even in a significant way. Moreover, my proposal is to write in the Rai Supervision resolution at least what the outline of the Agcom resolution provides, i.e. that it is necessary to consider for the purposes of equal conditions ‘any person clearly attributable to the competing parties or lists’ and also the ‘content positions political expressed by subjects and people not directly participating in the electoral competition’”. Therefore, apply the meshes of level playing field in Rai also to journalists so as to “pierce the veil of hypocrisy”.
“It is clear that commentators can influence public opinion as much as political exponents. Indeed, perhaps more so, because – Boschi continues – by playing on the role of apparent impartiality, some risk being more convincing than many politicians, not to mention that some commentators they have now become real television personalities and have many followers on social media.” “For some time now, TV programs have been inviting journalists to support different political theses, everyone knows this. So – he reiterates – why not do it in a transparent and regulated way at least during a period of equal conditions?”.
The group leader in the Senate also stands in support of Boschi, Enrico Borghi, observing that “evidently Boschi hit the mark” because “if there is so much nervousness about your proposal – he notes – it means that the issue you raised on the need for pluralism and equal opportunities in the diffusion of opinions, which replaces the logic of the single salon thought in vogue is a real and well-founded theme. Solidarity with Boschi”. Criticism instead is Marco Travaglio, who “with his behavior and his ‘appreciations’, wanted to confirm the goodness of Maria Elena Boschi’s proposal”, Isabella De Monte (Az) who on X observes again: “Yes, the director of Fatto Quotidiano he’s absolutely right: a level playing field must also be applied to the aligned journalists. To be clear, the sowers of fake news, like him.” “As it should be, you too have your political conventions, some have a political faith, others are ultras by belonging, so it is good, in democracies, that there should be both a majority and an opposition. It seems to me one thing very common sense”, is instead the position of Daniela Santanchè. “I am never against anyone – specifies the minister – but I am in favor of something. In television broadcasts there must be a level playing field, in the sense that everyone must be represented. Journalists – she continues – it is not that, so to speak, they are down from the tree…”.
