Rai Meeting on Report’s Future Continues as Newsroom Takes Hard Line; Unirai Attacks Innocenzi

The newsroom of Rai3’s investigative program Report is taking a hard line in its dispute with management: withdraw the appointments of Daniele Piervincenzi and Giulia Presutti, or the journalists say they will leave together.

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If we are thinking of talking with Report’s correspondents, we are here precisely for that.

A meeting on the program’s future began at Rai’s Via Teulada headquarters between the newsroom and Paolo Corsini, director of investigative programming. Piervincenzi and Presutti initially appeared ready to join the discussion. “If we are thinking of talking with Report’s correspondents, we are here precisely for that,” Piervincenzi told reporters outside. Corsini later told the two that the meeting should proceed with the newsroom alone.

Giulia Innocenzi said the staff had come to hear Rai’s position but would repeat its demand. “If Rai continues on its path, we correspondents, and there are many of us, will resign as a group because we must guarantee the program’s independence and autonomy, which are essential to pursuing our investigations,” she said.

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If Rai continues on its path, we correspondents, and there are many of us, will resign as a group because we must guarantee the program’s independence and autonomy, which are essential to pursuing our investigations.

Long-serving Report correspondents Bernardo Iovene and Giulio Valesini also met Corsini. They had been promoted to chief writer roles but were prepared to give up those positions unless the two designated hosts withdrew. Iovene said dialogue could resume only if the appointments were withdrawn or the nominees resigned. Otherwise, he said, the staff would not return to work and would abandon the program.

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Dialogue resumes if there is a withdrawal or resignation by the two appointees. Otherwise, there is no dialogue.

Corsini also agreed to meet members of the investigative-programming works council after the newsroom meeting. The Unirai-Figec union separately intervened to condemn offensive remarks directed at Presutti. The dispute therefore remains centered on who will lead Report and whether the newsroom believes its editorial independence can be preserved under the new arrangement.

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The company should withdraw the appointment of these two hosts and resume talks with us so the program can return as soon as possible.