Probity

Chris — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:41:01 +0000

Two items connected by disregard for ethics. In Sweden, a TV4 journalist undermines the country’s reputation for probity for accepting bribes to portray favourably a criminal investigation under appeal. According to Le Monde:

Dans la première affaire, le plaignant affirme que le journaliste de TV4 aurait touché 43 500 euros pour diffuser un reportage afin d’aider un détenu condamné à dix ans de réclusion à sortir de prison. Quand la famille du prisonnier aurait voulu récupérer son argent parce que le reportage n’avait pas été diffusé, le journaliste l’aurait alors menacée. Le reporter, qui a également une formation de juriste, ne nie pas le paiement mais affirme qu’il s’est fait payer en temps que conseil juridique.

In Italy, Berlusconi’s corruption trial is apparently back on. How quickly can the judges work before the statute of limitations comes into effect?

State funding of Italian newspapers

Chris — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 08:40:00 +0000

Following a tip [thanks Costanza], I found a wonderful transcript of an episode of Report on the state funding of Italian newspapers. The state spends 667 million euros a year to subsidize newspapers; the intention behind the subsidies was originally to help struggling ‘newspapers of ideas’. Instead, with a 1987 law permitting two deputies to certify that such-and-such a newspaper is the in-house newspaper for a political movement, the subsidies blossomed. The transcript does a wonderful review of some of the less credible newspapers:

NEWSPAPER VENDOR
What, ‘L’opinione’?

INTERVIEWER
You’ve never heard of it?

NEWSPAPER VENDOR
No, if it’s a newspaper it doesn’t arrive here

INTERVIEW [to EDITOR of L'Opinione]
How many copies do you sell?

ARTURO DIACONALE-EDITOR L’OPINIONE
Our circulation is… limited, let’s say. We’re at about three, four thousand copies.

INTERVIEWER [off-screen]
Three, four thousand copies, and you receive two million euro

Chris Hanretty » corruption

Probity

State funding of Italian newspapers