Pomezia – A rudimentary explosive device, containing approximately one kilogram of explosives, was placed next to the car of journalist and Report host Sigfrido Ranucci. The explosion occurred late Thursday evening, around 10:17 p.m., outside the journalist’s residence in Campo Ascolano, a locality within the municipality of Pomezia, near Rome. The blast completely destroyed both Ranucci’s car and his daughter’s, which were parked side by side.
According to initial reconstructions, the device had been placed between one of the vehicles and the entrance gate.Fragments of the explosive were seized and will undergo technical analysis to determine their composition and the type of detonator used. Investigators from the Carabinieri Corps are reviewing surveillance footage from the entire area, hoping that the videos might have captured the movements of those who planted the bomb.
Leaving the Carabinieri Trionfale Station, where he had filed a complaint, Ranucci recounted that he had reconstructed the incident together with investigators. “There’s an endless list of threats I’ve received over time,” he said, “of various kinds, all of which I have always reported to the judicial authorities.” But the journalist did not hide his concern about what he called “a worrying escalation.” “Right in front of my house — where last year bullets were found,” he added. The remark refers to a previous episode, already reported to authorities, which now takes on an even more disturbing significance.
“I heard a tremendous boom,” Ranucci continued. “It was 10:17 p.m. The Carabinieri heard it too, because it can be clearly heard in the audio recorded by people nearby who were filming with their phones.” When asked who might be responsible, the Report host replied cautiously: “It’s impossible to say at this point. It’s a rather wide context, and that’s what the reports over the past few months have focused on.”
The attack, the most serious against an Italian journalist in recent years, reignites alarm over the safety of investigative reporters in the country — a threatening message that, as Ranucci himself noted, “targets not only me, but the right of all citizens to be informed.”
International Reactions
The attack on Ranucci has sparked immediate outrage across Europe. The organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the incident as “the most serious attack on an Italian reporter in recent years,” emphasizing that “press freedom in Italy is under an existential threat.”
“We strongly condemn the violent attempt to intimidate investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci — the most serious attack on an Italian reporter in recent years. We welcome the solidarity expressed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and call on the Italian authorities to do everything in their power to bring those responsible to justice — and to ensure Ranucci’s safety,” declared RSF.
Similarly, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stressed Italy’s political and institutional responsibility: “Today, in the face of this new bombing attack, we demand that everything be done to identify and convict both the perpetrators and the instigators. We have not forgotten the verbal and legal attacks suffered by Ranucci in recent years, both from government circles and within RAI itself. Those responsible for these intimidation campaigns bear a heavy responsibility. It is time for Italy’s political class to adopt concrete measures to guarantee press freedom, fully implementing the European EMFA Regulation and ensuring RAI’s independence.”
The Inefficiency of Italian Institutions
In the face of yet another warning sign, the reaction of Italian institutions appears once again insufficient. Even the National Order of Journalists issued a statement of condemnation, but its words sound hollow when compared to the inaction of recent years. Beyond the justified attention on Ranucci — who, due to his public profile and repeated threats, now lives under police protection — there exists in Italy a multitude of lesser-known journalists who face, often alone, defamation campaigns, delegitimization attempts, surveillance, dossier fabrication, and even illegal wiretapping.
There have also been disturbing cases involving the Italian government itself, accused of using spyware against inconvenient journalists. In addition, there are documented incidents involving members of the Guardia di Finanza who illegally accessed confidential databases to collect sensitive information about journalists, high-ranking clergy, and political figures.
Several foreign journalists residing in Italy, many of whom have also been victims of threats, defamation, and online harassment, have repeatedly reported these incidents to the Order of Journalists, yet have received no response or support. Unlike major European institutions, the Italian Order continues to display a troubling inability to protect those who exercise their right — and duty — to inform.
These are the natural consequences of a State that fails to sanction those who threaten or defame journalists, even when such attacks occur on social media. It is the sign of a deep institutional decay, one that undermines press freedom and the citizens’ right to information. In this context, the Public Prosecutor’s Office often appears selective, influenced by networks of affiliation. It is no secret that many cases of threats or defamation against journalists languish for years on prosecutors’ desks, while others — especially those initiated by well-connected individuals or political interests — advance with surprising speed.
This double standard erodes trust in justice and further weakens the foundations of press freedom.
A Wound to Democracy
The attack on Ranucci is not just an assault on an individual journalist; it strikes at the heart of press freedom and the credibility of the State in ensuring protection and justice for those who act in the public interest. While Europe speaks of protection, Italy confuses solidarity with silence, and security with indifference.
The bomb in Pomezia is not merely an attack on a man, but a dark message aimed at the entire information system. It is a symptom of an increasingly hostile climate toward those who exercise the right to tell the truth, while Italy continues to fall in international press freedom rankings — a structural deterioration that can no longer be ignored.
G.L. and f.R.A.
Silere non possum