There have recently been sparks between the government and La7, due to the editorial line considered too unbalanced to the left. In a video message a few days ago, Prime Minister Meloni began like this: «Dear La7 viewers, we haven’t seen each other for a while, but I hope to find you heartened by the danger of the authoritarian drift, of the collapse of the economy , of Italy’s isolation at an international level”. A dig at the network led by Andrea Salerno (formerly RaiTre) and its hosts deemed too biased. Then from Mentana the prime minister further clarified her thoughts: «Someone wanted to see in that video an attack on La7 viewers, instead I limited myself to making fun of some La7 hosts as I think is my right». Even Salvini, a guest the other evening on Otto e mezzo, clashed with Gruber (in the photo) complaining that on La7 «there is a factionalism against the League from morning to night that I have never seen even in broadcasters in other countries , fortunately Italians mature their choice beyond what La7 says. But that’s my opinion.” Personal judgments which are confirmed by the data just published by Agcom in its latest report on «Political and social pluralism on television» for the European elections. The Authority monitors the speaking times given to the various parties and institutional subjects in the news and information programs of the various networks, Rai and private. In the week from 26 May to 1 June, the last period considered, La7 stands out for the record time given to the Democratic Party. In the table on the speaking time of political and institutional subjects in the extra-news programs we read that the La7 talk shows gave the floor to Dem representatives for 22% of the total time, compared to the 8% given to Fdi, 10% to Fi and 9% to the League. More than anyone, double the second party in terms of space granted by La7, the Five Star Movement, at 11%. TgLa7 surpasses the network’s programmes, in the Mentana news services the PD speaks 31% of the time, more than all the centre-right put together (it reaches 23% adding Fdi, Lega and Fi), much more even than Tg3 (13 %) which is the news contracted to the Democratic Party for the historic division of Rai. Percentages compensated by the large presence of the government (premier and ministers) in TgLa7, which however is not recorded in the extra-news programmes. Even the previous week La7 was the most generous network with the Democratic Party.
In particular in the in-depth analyzes and programs that touch on politics, from morning to evening, with a team of journalists who do not exactly consider the government to be super partes: Augias, Floris, Parenzo, Gruber, Formigli, Gramellini, Panella (Tagadà), Diego Bianchi (Propaganda Live), Travaglio and Giannini regular guests, Marianna Aprile and Luca Telese in the summer. One of them, Corrado Formigli, complained that Meloni does not accept invitations to her program Piazza Pulita: «Giorgia Meloni refuses to come to the studio and answer the questions that the programme’s journalists ask her in public contexts. Is this the attitude of a leader of a democratic country who cares about the pluralism of information?”.
Piazza Pulita had relaunched an investigation into the so-called “black lobby” behind Fdi, a few days before the 2021 local elections. An investigation which later turned out to be a hoax, with all those under investigation being dismissed. It’s possible that Meloni tied it to her finger.
