Berlusconi critic resigns amid scandal
Posted by Liz Webber on September 4, 2009 at 4:00 PM
The editor of Italian daily L'Avvenire quit his post yesterday following allegations in a newspaper controlled by the Berlusconi family that he had been involved in a homosexual harassment scandal, the Independent and other media reported. Dino Boffo's newspaper, which gives voice to the Italian Bishops' Conference, has been very critical of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi regarding his own alleged sexual indiscretions.
Though Berlusconi has tried to remain above the fray in regards to what appeared in his newspaper Il Giornale, the Catholic Church has taken offense and canceled a planned dinner between the prime minister and a church official.
Il Giornale wrote that Boffo had previously been fined for harassing the wife of a man with whom he wished to have an affair. Boffo admitted paying the fine but denied being a homosexual, stating that his resignation would serve to protect his family. An Italian court upheld the accusations earlier this week.
Media mogul Berlusconi has a history of antagonizing the press, a battle which escalated this summer. Last week, the prime minister announced he was suing Italian newspaper La Repubblica along with France's Nouvel Observateur and Spain's El Pais over articles detailing Berlusconi's supposed romantic affairs and photographs of naked guests taken at Berlusconi's villa. The publishers of La Repubblica had previously filed suit against the prime minister for defamation after he called the newspaper "subversive."
While in the instance of L'Avvenire's editor it appears the allegations are based in truth, a newspaper controlled by a country's leader making attacks on critics of that leader presents a tenuous situation for an independent press. Is this an example of a newspaper just doing its job, or digging up dirt to strong arm a critic?
Source: Independent via European Journalism Centre
Il Giornale wrote that Boffo had previously been fined for harassing the wife of a man with whom he wished to have an affair. Boffo admitted paying the fine but denied being a homosexual, stating that his resignation would serve to protect his family. An Italian court upheld the accusations earlier this week.
Media mogul Berlusconi has a history of antagonizing the press, a battle which escalated this summer. Last week, the prime minister announced he was suing Italian newspaper La Repubblica along with France's Nouvel Observateur and Spain's El Pais over articles detailing Berlusconi's supposed romantic affairs and photographs of naked guests taken at Berlusconi's villa. The publishers of La Repubblica had previously filed suit against the prime minister for defamation after he called the newspaper "subversive."
While in the instance of L'Avvenire's editor it appears the allegations are based in truth, a newspaper controlled by a country's leader making attacks on critics of that leader presents a tenuous situation for an independent press. Is this an example of a newspaper just doing its job, or digging up dirt to strong arm a critic?
Source: Independent via European Journalism Centre
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