Italy summons Russian ambassador over media coverage criticism
ROME (Reuters) – Italy summoned Russia’s ambassador on Monday to protest over criticism from Moscow of protection by the Italian media of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Italian overseas ministry mentioned in an announcement it “rejected insinuations regarding the alleged involvement of our nation’s media in an anti-Russian marketing campaign”.
It added that it “firmly rejected accusations of amorality” levelled at sure unnamed Italian officers and journalists by the Russian overseas ministry.
The Russian embassy in Rome posted an announcement on Fb saying Ambassador Sergey Razov had repudiated the criticism throughout his assembly with the secretary basic of Italy’s overseas ministry.
“He identified that the propaganda line that’s dominating within the Italian media can hardly be certified in any other case than as hostile,” the assertion mentioned.
“He known as for moderation and stability, conventional for Italian overseas coverage, within the curiosity of sustaining optimistic relations and cooperation between the Russian and Italian peoples in the long run.”
Russia’s denunciation of Italian media protection runs within the face of censure inside Italy itself of perceived pro-Russian bias by some influential tv information reveals.
An Italian parliamentary panel final month opened an investigation into allegations of “disinformation” on tv following the frequent look of Russian visitors on the nation’s information programmes in the course of the battle in Ukraine.
The Parliamentary Committee for the Safety of the Republic (Copasir), which oversees the intelligence companies, mentioned it was trying into “overseas interference and disinformation exercise” within the protection of the battle, now in its third month.
On Sunday, a information present on La7 channel was criticised after internet hosting a part of its prime-time programme in Moscow, giving ample air time to allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Veteran Italian newspaper editor Alessandro Sallusti, who was additionally invited to participate within the present, walked out in protest in the course of the dwell broadcast. “I’m witnessing whole servility to the worst sort of propaganda,” he mentioned.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Modifying by Alex Richardson)
