The Crotone journalists sent, a few moments ago, the following letter to the Prefect of Crotone, Franca Ferraro:
For about two years it has become increasingly difficult for Crotone journalists to document the arrivals of migrants at the port of Crotone. In fact, to access it, you need to ask for authorization at each individual event. Usually, when we find out about a landing, we have to send an email to three different addresses and wait for authorizations, hoping that someone will read those requests. However, despite regular requests, complete with acceptance via email, for example, it also happened that someone claimed that we had no right to work in that place. The current bureaucratic procedure not only delays the carrying out of our work, which in cases like this requires maximum promptness, but has sometimes represented a real obstacle to the right to report which we exercise on a daily basis.
Beyond some commitments made at the time, the requests for meetings with the competent authorities in order to regularize the entry of reporters to the port of Crotone on the occasion of the landings, unfortunately numerous in our territory, were of no avail. The situation has actually gotten worse: on the evening of Monday 24 June, on the occasion of the arrival of the Coast Guard ship Diciotti, with on board five bodies of migrants who died in the shipwreck of recent days off the coast of Calabria, reporters were told forbidden to enter, forcing many colleagues to find alternative solutions to carry out their work, even risky for their own safety. Furthermore, contrary to usual, the industrial port was chosen for the disembarkation to keep away even the ‘prying’ eyes of the zoom cameras. This is all unacceptable. Evidently we want to continue to keep the press away from places where activities involving migrants take place. And this happens more and more often when tragic events occur such as the recent shipwreck of Roccella Ionica and, before that, that of Steccato di Cutro.
It is also worth remembering that on several occasions we perceived our presence at the port as unwelcome, sensing a hostile climate towards us. Yet, we believe we have always demonstrated professionalism, respect for the work of others, and seriousness in carrying out our own. We know the Rome Charter and we operate in compliance with the ethical principles that guide our pen, our cameras and our video cameras every day. Any errors, as for any other professional category, are paid for, but individually and whoever committed them will take responsibility for them.
Given all of the above, we ask for an urgent and no longer postponable meeting with the relevant authorities to regulate, once and for all, our entry to the port and relations with the press.
The climate we breathe is not serene, but this does not scare us. The right to freedom of the press is the basis of every civilized country and we will always be committed to guaranteeing it.
The participating Crotone journalists
