Trying to trace 49 million euro, which the Lega swindled and then hid.  The investigation carried out by the L’Espresso journalists went on for months touching various Italian and European cities and going as far as Moscow.  This is how we were able to reveal what you read in the previous pages. Confident sources and secret documents have been scrupulously analized in the investigation on the color of the money that changed and on the hands that touched and carried it.  Finding international figures that did business with Italians tied to the “government of change”. Our reporters moved carefully across the territory, documenting every single thing.  Stories like this, or like others that have been published in the past by L’Espresso, have proposed a very strong type of journalism to its readers, convinced of its role, of its mission and of its indispensable function: represent reality even in its darkest consequences. This is because L’Espresso firmly believes in the freedom of press and not serving the political power in office. And with the messages and support that our readers have shown and show after every investigation, we understand that they want real journalism, the most serious and less indulgent. All of this brings us to the reasons why we chose to be journalists:  curiosity.  Not courage or wishing to be a “civil hero”.  Pure and simple curiosity towards the world.

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3 million for Salvini

Giovanni Tizian, Stefano Vergine

28/2/2019

Investigative journalism is generally inconvenient because it reveals facts and stories that have a political and social importance before they come to the knowledge of the magistrature.  It is based on the news, which is the real boss in the newsroom. Newspapers thrive on the news:  it is like water for fish. Our job is differenc from that of a judge or a police investigator:  we do not issue sentences, we do not sign injunctions, we save news in drawers. But we tell about what can be documented and we publish it because it could have a social importance and it allows the readers to know and analize what is surrounding them.

As is often repeated in Journalism School, newspapers must act as the “watch dogs” of democracy.  It all revolves around the journalistic news that does not always match the news of the crime, for which the magistrature is competent.  Investigative journalism has a public function, it exposes politicians and administrators as well as public figures.  This is what L’Espresso tries to do every week, always taking the side of the news.

Unfortunately, in our country there is the widespread (and crosswise) convinction that “discretion” on some phenomenon can help solve the problems.  History teaches us that this is not so.  In the past political scandals have been revealed only because some jounalists have asked some questions about a simple robbery and they did it before the judges did, as Watergate teaches us and we all know how that ended:  with the President of the United States resigning.

In 60 years L’Espresso has always tried to tell the truth, even when the country was afraid to hear about it. We continue and will continue to do our job.