MFRR Italy mission report: Growing political pressure on Rai, concerns over media pluralism, and escalating legal harassment and digital threats

The report highlights how particularly concerning is the issue of RAI's compliance with the European Media Freedom Act, and its lack of indepdnence from politics; as well as the transposition of the Anti-SLAPP Directive and the sustained levels of legal attacks initiated by political and economic elites. The authors oft he report also identified additional risks to media pluralism (such as the sale of the GEDI group) as well as serious concerns regarding the digital security of journalists and their sources. The worsening oft he state oft he art of media freeodm in Italy is alarming especially because the country is heading into an election year and the intensity as well as the variety of attacks against journalists signals a democratic backslide.