LETTER FROM ROME
There is a genre in the Italian daily press which has enjoyed unparalleled fortune in recent years: the journalism of retroscena (in French: behind the scenes). The objective of this type of article is to retrace, as close as possible to the places of power, the negotiations that take place there. To put together this kind of story, all means are good: anonymous quotes are the norm and if one does not know exactly how the events unfold, it is not forbidden to embroider a little … a slightly catchy title and voila.
Of course, the retroscena does not really correspond to the canons taught in journalism schools. Sometimes, moreover, one seems closer to the novel than to political analysis. But its best authors give you the impression of knowing in detail the most secret dealings, and at worst, even if it turns out to be perfectly wrong or biased, a reading of this type is never boring.
This highly questionable genre of political journalism reached its peak in 2018-19, during the time of the first Conte government. Made up of the alliance of the 5-star Movement of Luigi Di Maio (anti-system) and the League of Matteo Salvini (far right), this executive had as main characteristics his inexperience and frantic communication. Present several times a day on social networks, the two vice-presidents of the board also multiplied the interviews on all media, “on” and “off”, and their advisers were not left out. As for the communication of the chairman of the board, it was provided in an inimitable way by Rocco Casalino, a former candidate for reality TV show …
Parsimonious communication
Barely two years after the end of this atypical experience, the change could not be more radical: the Draghi government is characterized by communication that is both precise and parsimonious. In the organization set up by the former president of the European Central Bank, party leaders are left at a good distance from the heart of power, and each speech is calibrated. Thus, those who speak the most off the microphone are those who know the least.
So it seemed that the golden age of retroscena was well and truly finished. Sure, the backstage discussions still existed, but it was as if, suddenly, they had become inaccessible. This was counting without the approach of the presidential election, which offers amateurs the leisure to indulge, with delight, in the exercise.
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