Can you lose your job because of a question? In Italy, apparently yes. And the most absurd thing is that the one who lost it was a young journalist who, precisely because of his profession, is called upon to ask questions, especially those that may be uncomfortable. The surreal story has as its protagonist Gabriele Nunziati, fired from the Agenzia Nova news agency for a clarification requested from the European Commission, Paula Pinho, during a press conference in Brussels on 13 October.
“He told you several times that Russia should pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Do you think Israel should also pay for the reconstruction of Gaza, given that it has destroyed much of the Strip and civilian infrastructure?” Nunziati had asked. A legitimate question, the same one that many have asked themselves, given the contradictions surrounding the treatment towards Israel, which has practically carried out an undisturbed genocide.
And the spokeswoman replied by saying: “Yours is a very interesting question which, however, I would not like to answer at this stage.”
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Yet, about two weeks later, on 27 October Gabriele Nunziati received a letter from the agency he worked for announcing the interruption of the collaboration relationship. After the press conference in Brussels, the journalist had received several phone calls from his bosses, with tones that he defined as “quite tense”, as told to Fanpage’s microphones.
Agenzia Nova’s response was not long in coming. After the statements released by Nunziati, he sent the following reply to Fanpage, claiming that the journalist’s question was “technically wrong”:
The problem is that Russia – a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and, as such, one of the 5 highest guarantors of world order – invaded Ukraine, a sovereign country, without being provoked. Israel, on the contrary, suffered armed aggression. It is not surprising, therefore, that the spokeswoman did not answer the question, as it was completely out of place and erroneous in nature. The difference between the positions of Russia and Israel was repeatedly represented to the collaborator who, however, did not at all understand the substantial and formal difference in situations, and indeed insisted on considering the question asked to be correct, thus showing himself to be unaware of the fundamental principles of international law.
What’s worse, the video relating to his question was filmed and relaunched by Russian nationalist Telegram channels and by media linked to political Islam with an anti-European function, creating embarrassment for the agency, as a primary source very attentive to its independence and the objectivity of the information transmitted. It is clear that the relationship of trust with the collaborator, in this context, has come to an end.
As if these words could justify the dismissal of a journalist.
The position of the Journalists’ Association
The Order of Journalists intervened on the issue, which (rightly) raised a lot of fuss in Italy, denouncing what happened.
“The National Council of the Order recalls that the role of the journalist, regardless of contractual protections, is to ask questions that may be uncomfortable or unwelcome. – reads a note – The Council therefore requests that the colleague be reinstated quickly and fully in his role.”
The solidarity of the world of politics and information with Gabriele Nunziati
The world of politics (or at least part of it) and several journalists wanted to express their support and solidarity with Gabriele Nunziati, who was unjustly fired.
Punishing a journalist for asking a question means punishing citizens’ right to be informed. – underlined the MEP and journalist Sandro Ruotolo. – This is not the European spirit that we defended by approving the European Media Freedom Act. Defending the right to inform and ask questions means defending everyone’s freedom.
The closeness also came from the presenter of Report Sigfrido Ranucci, who spoke in the Rai Supervisory Commission:
It was my responsibility, also as a signal, to call him and have him come to the editorial office to give him my solidarity and, if there is the possibility, I will want him on my team because he has demonstrated a quality that is rare among politicians and journalists: that of courage, which must be rewarded and recognized.
The dismissal reflects an increasingly fragile press freedom
The case of Gabriele Nunziati is causing a lot of discussion, but perhaps it shouldn’t be so surprising. His dismissal is just a symptom of an increasingly gangrenous freedom of information in our country. The recent cowardly attack on Sigrido Ranucci demonstrates this, but the distressing numbers also confirm it. According to the 2025 report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Italy is in 49th place in the world press freedom ranking: it has lost three positions compared to the previous year, recording the worst result in Western Europe.
A journalist who is punished for a question is not just an individual victim: he is the symbol of a system that prefers silence to the truth. In a healthy democracy, there are no “wrong questions” or “inappropriate questions”. There are only questions that test power and journalists willing to ask them.
Many today seem to have forgotten that the task of journalism is not to please, but to disturb: to seek the truth, even when it is not convenient for anyone to listen to it. And if you end up firing those who do your job, the problem lies not in the question, but in that answer that no one wants to give.
Sources: Odg/RSF
