Italian journalist fired for “wrong” question, Brussels: “Willing to answer everyone”

Brussels – Messages of solidarity are multiplying in Brussels and Italy in support of the journalist Gabriele Nunziati, fired by the Nova news agency for a question described by the newspaper’s owner as “technically wrong.” Nunziati had asked EU Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho whether, as she asked Russia to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine, it would do the same with Israel involved in the conflict in Gaza.

The reaction of politics

In response to this episode, several Italian MEPs made comments throughout the day in support of the reporter. “This is a very serious incident that should alarm anyone who cares about freedom of the press,” commented PD MEP Sandro Ruotolo. The same tone was used by Ilaria Salis of the Green and Left Alliance: “An alarming signal for freedom of the press. The question highlighted the European Union’s unacceptable double standard.”

Even the professional apex of the category, the National Council of the Order of Journalists, speaking on the issue, recalled that “the role of the journalist is to ask questions that may be uncomfortable or unwelcome.”

The European Commission, in order to dispel any doubts and some reconstructions according to which it had itself called for the dismissal, clarified the facts in a note, signed by spokeswoman Arianna Podestà and circulated by Askanews: “Questions regarding the termination of the employment of journalist Gabriele Nunziati are preferably to be addressed to Agenzia Nova,” adding later that “the Commission has not contacted Agenzia Nova regarding this matter.” Furthermore, Brussels emphasised that it “attaches the utmost importance to press freedom” and that it “is always available to answer any questions in the context of the midday press conference.” In short, the affair looks more like a sad episode of all-Italian illiberality

The case

The case broke out on 13 October, when the reporter, who had been in Brussels for a few weeks, asked the European Commission spokeswoman, Paula Pinho, a question. Nunziati asked why the Commission was urging Russia to pay back the damage from the war in Ukraine, but not doing the same with Israel over Gaza. “It is an interesting question, but one on which I would not like to comment at this time,” the spokeswoman had glossed over, perhaps in distress.

A few weeks later, the collaborator, after several contacts with Agenzia Nova’s management, was dismissed. The reasons emerged in a communication issued by the Rome-based news agency. “Gabriele Nunziati, our collaborator, asked the European Commission spokeswoman a technically incorrect question,” it says. The mistake, according to the agency, would have been to compare Russia to Israel, despite the two different war scenarios. “The difference between the positions of Russia and Israel was repeatedly represented to the contributor,” Nova continues, “who nevertheless did not understand the substantial and formal difference in the situations and rather insisted that the question asked was correct, thus showing himself unaware of the basic principles of international law”, as interpreted by the Nova Agency property. 

In addition, the video in which the journalist asked the question went viral immediately. According to Nova, the dissemination on “Russian nationalist Telegram channels and by media outlets linked to political Islam in an anti-European function” caused embarrassment to the company, which thus decided to remove the correspondent.

“There are no wrong questions”

The episode can be classified as a worrying symptom of the threat to press freedom in Italy. Just today the Manifesto for free journalism was presented in the EU Parliament. On that occasion, MEP and journalist Sandro Rutolo listed the numerous distortions of our information. “In 2024, there were some 519 threats suffered by Italian journalists,” he recalled, emphasising that the task of reporters “is not entertainment, but to ask questions that may be uncomfortable.” 

In a note, the MEP reminded Agenzia Nova of a cardinal principle of press freedom: “There are no wrong questions. In information, as in democracy, there are only questions, those that serve to seek answers, even when they cause debate.”