Hours of reflection for Enrico Mentana, who, after the violent clash with Lilli Gruber, could announce his decision this evening. The dispute between the two journalists reached its peak with Mentana’s ultimatum who last night, at the end of the tgLa7 edition, asked for the company to intervene (“Say something or there will be consequences”). Urbano Cairo’s response finally arrived this morning. The publisher invited everyone to respect each other and the company, emphasizing the value of freedom of expression and the responsible autonomy of hosts and journalists, as well as the importance of teamwork.
Meanwhile, the tension between the two journalists has captured the attention of the media, trending on social media and occupying the pages of almost all newspapers, with the exception of Cairo’s Corriere della Sera which limited coverage to the online sphere. Mentana responded to the editor’s words with a laconic “I subscribe” but sources close to the journalist suggest that the reflection is open and it could lead to a new announcement on the 8pm news. As for Gruber, she claimed: “I have shared the line and rules of my company for sixteen years.”
While Mentana’s news remains constant with 8.3% share and 1,612,000 viewers, the controversy seems to have a significant impact on the ratings of ‘Otto e mezzo’. The last episode recorded over 2 million spectators with a 9.2% share, an increase compared to the 1,781,000 spectators and 8.4% share of the previous episode. This increase in interest is probably due to the wait for a response from Gruber to Mentana’s statements, who had defined her judgment as “contemptuous” and had distanced herself from “rude and lazy people”. She replied but, at the moment, she hadn’t arrived.
