Italian public broadcaster Rai is reportedly moving toward removing investigative journalism show Report host Sigfrido Ranucci, with a new presenter expected to be announced within days, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.
The Five Star Movement (M5s) has responded by urging staff not to comply, claiming the decision is being driven by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the outlet reports.
The report follows a separate development in which Brothers of Italy (FdI), Meloni's party, has escalated its criticism of Ranucci to the European Commission, alleging the program is biased and violates EU media rules.
Il Fatto Quotidiano and other Italian outlets, including Corriere Roma and la Repubblica, report that FdI sent a letter to the Commission describing Report as one-sided. The letter argues the show breaches European norms on impartiality.
The M5s statement, as covered by Il Fatto Quotidiano, directly challenges the network's leadership, telling them to stop and refuse to follow Meloni's orders. The party's intervention frames the situation as a political attack on editorial independence.
One counterpoint appears in Secolo d'Italia, which criticizes the M5s stance, noting that Report has devoted only 1.5% of its coverage to Five Star issues despite the party demanding investigations into everyone.
The timeline for Ranucci's departure remains unclear, but the combination of an imminent presenter change and the European-level complaint suggests a coordinated push against the long-running current affairs program.
What to watch next: whether the European Commission responds to FdI's letter and whether Rai's board confirms the reported replacement in the coming days.
