Overview

• Sigfrido Ranucci shared a June 25 letter accusing him of appearing on La7 and other outlets without authorisation, which he denied by citing approval from his director
• Rai’s official statement stressed that no disciplinary sanction was imposed and that Ranucci was only reminded to observe company rules on external communications
• Members of the M5S and the press freedom group Articolo21 condemned the reminder as a clumsy intimidation tactic against investigative journalists
• A Qualitel survey ranked 'Report' as Rai’s most appreciated investigative programme, yet Rai plans to cut four episodes from its upcoming season
• Rai is also reducing episodes of 'PresaDiretta' and 'Lo Stato delle cose', prompting warnings that the moves could erode editorial independence and critical reporting