by InTrieste
Italy’s media landscape is facing renewed uncertainty after the owners of two of the country’s most influential newspapers, La Repubblica and La Stampa, confirmed plans to sell much of their publishing group, prompting strikes by journalists and calls for government intervention.
On Friday, the Italian government entered the debate surrounding negotiations between GEDI, the media group that publishes the two newspapers, and Antenna Group, a Greek media company. GEDI is owned by Exor, the holding company of the Agnelli-Elkann family, which said this week that it intends to complete the sale of most of its media assets by January.
After months of speculation, Exor confirmed it is in exclusive talks with Antenna, led by the Greek shipping magnate Theodore Kyriakou. The assets under discussion include La Repubblica, La Stampa, the Italian edition of HuffPost, and several popular radio stations, including Radio Deejay, Radio Capital and m2o.
During a meeting in Rome on Friday, Alberto Barachini, the undersecretary responsible for information and publishing, urged GEDI executives to protect both employment levels and editorial independence at the newspapers, according to Reuters.
Founded in 1988, Antenna Group operates 37 television channels across Europe, North America and Australia, alongside radio, streaming and digital platforms.
Journalists Strike
Tensions escalated after GEDI executives met editorial boards at La Repubblica and La Stampa on Wednesday to outline the proposed transaction. Journalists said they were informed that negotiations were at an advanced stage and that the sale could be finalized early next year.
In a statement, La Stampa’s editorial staff described the meeting as “disconcerting, disheartening and humiliating,” and voted to take industrial action. Journalists at both newspapers say they were given few concrete assurances regarding job security or editorial autonomy.
At La Stampa, reporters and editors decided not to publish the paper, despite a request from its editor in chief, Andrea Malaguti. The decision came a day before President Sergio Mattarella was scheduled to visit the newspaper’s headquarters in Turin, a gesture of solidarity following an attack on its offices last month. The presidential visit was subsequently canceled.
Journalists at La Stampa declared a publishing blackout and placed themselves in “permanent assembly,” calling for contractual guarantees to ensure continuity of employment in any sale.
At La Repubblica, journalists announced a strike on Friday, suspending updates to the newspaper’s website and canceling Saturday’s print edition. In a statement, the editorial staff said they were preparing for a prolonged dispute unless job protections and respect for the newspaper’s political and editorial identity were secured.
Uncertain Future for La Stampa
Further complicating the negotiations is Antenna’s reported lack of interest in acquiring La Stampa, which was founded in 1867 and is one of Italy’s oldest daily newspapers.
According to Italian media reports, the most advanced alternative option for La Stampa would involve its sale to NEM, a group of entrepreneurs based in the Veneto region that has already acquired several regional titles from GEDI.
Journalists and analysts have raised concerns about the feasibility of a separate sale, since La Stampa shares technical, digital and social media infrastructure with the rest of the GEDI group, according to Il Post.
GEDI formally acknowledged the talks this week after denying reports of negotiations with Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, the son of the late EssilorLuxottica founder, clarifying that Antenna is currently its sole negotiating partner.
Political Pressure Mounts
The proposed sale has drawn criticism from opposition parties and trade unions, who warn that the transaction could weaken editorial independence and lead to job losses. Several opposition figures have urged the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to intervene.
The center-left Democratic Party has called on the government to consider using Italy’s so-called “golden powers,” legislation that allows the state to review, impose conditions on, or block takeovers deemed to be of strategic national interest.
“We are extremely concerned about the risk of weakening or even dismantling a fundamental bastion of democracy,” said Elly Schlein, the leader of the Democratic Party. “What is at stake is not just a publishing group, but a part of the country’s historical and civic heritage.”
For now, negotiations continue amid mounting pressure from journalists, unions and politicians, as Italy weighs how to balance market forces with the protection of some of its most prominent journalistic institutions.
