Daniela Cipolloni and Lidia Scognamiglio, both Rai journalists, awarded as Journalist of the year in the second edition of Journalistic Award Umberto Rosa wanted by Confindustria Medical devices. To virtually deliver the plate to the two journalists were the President of the Jury, Michele Mirabella, and the President of Confindustria Medical Devices, Massimiliano Boggetti, during the award ceremony in live streaming.
In addition to winning the Prize Journalist of the year, Lidia Scognamiglio and Daniela Cipolloni are the ex aequo winners in the category radio and tv. To bring Daniela Cipolloni to victory the service “What treatments are available today to cure Covid? ” aired on Presa Diretta, Rai 3; for colleague Scognamiglio, the report for Tg2 Medicina 33 entitled “Diana, recovered from a serious rare disease thanks to research “.
To receive the highest number of votes within the category paper print the journalist Chiara Caretoni for the article “I know you Mascherina ” published on Ok Salute e Benessere. In the category web and agencies instead he triumphed Federico Turrisi with the article “Is animal testing necessary? What you need to know about a topic that divides (but should instead unite) ”Published on the OHGA website.
“With the second edition of the ‘Umberto Rosa’ Journalism Award – commented Massimiliano Boggetti, president of Confindustria Medical Devices – we wanted to pay homage and show our gratitude to the information professionals who, throughout the health emergency, made sure that Italians received useful, continuous, precise and timely information. But above all, the media have played a fundamental role: they have helped citizens to overcome the fear of the virus and to face loneliness at home. I think of lonely people, of those who live with one or more disabilities, of the elderly, the information channels in recent months have performed an extraordinary service, filling the void and disorientation that the pandemic has brought into everyone’s lives. In congratulating the winners, I once again thank all the participants in the Prize, wishing them to continue to carry out the journalistic profession with quality and scrupulousness, providing a valid contribution to the narration of this historical moment for humanity and for science “.
Judging from the articles, agency launches, TV or radio services of this second edition, it was one qualified jury made up of ten members plus a President and a Secretary (without voting rights) from the scientific, institutional, business and communication world. Diana Bracco, President of the Alisei national cluster; Silvio Brusaferro, President of the Higher Health Institute; Nino Cartabellotta, President of the GIMBE Foundation; Antonio Gaudioso, General Secretary of Cittadinanzattiva; Achilles Iachino, Director General of Medical Devices and the Pharmaceutical Service of the Ministry of Health; Walter Ricciardi, Representative for Italy to the WHO Council; Carlo Rosa, CEO DiaSorin Group; Marco Simoni, President of Human Technopole; Rossella Overcoat, President FERPI;
Franco Vimercati, President of the Federation of Italian Medical Scientific Societies (FISM); Gin Winterize, Secretary of the jury and Vice-president of Confindustria Medical Devices with responsibility for Communication.
The event, exceptionally in digital form, was also an opportunity to present the results of the Survey Journalism and information at the time of the pandemic conducted on participating journalists to this second edition. The questionnaire sought to investigate the opinion of information professionals on how the journalist’s work has changed in the last year as well as on the proliferation of fake news.
La survey
The investigation revealed that for 49% of the interviewees, the information service during the health emergency was more accurate and professional. 25% of respondents did not notice any changes.
Several factors have made it particularly difficult to carry out the journalistic profession in the last year: for 71% of the participants in the prize – with a range from little to much – it was difficult to deal with the competition and the frantic search for exclusivity. While 63% found it difficult to reconcile work and private life, half of the respondents said they had difficulty dealing with social distancing and smart working. The search for sources on a scientific, delicate and new topic was very or quite difficult for 51% of the respondents, for 49%, however, it was little or not at all complicated.
The difficulty of finding reliable information on an almost unknown topic, combined with the fear spread among the population, has led to an increase in fake news: according to 98% of the journalists interviewed, hoaxes have proliferated due to social media and politics, for 83% they were a central phenomenon, while for 44% of the interviewees they were fed – much or enough – by the first level media. Clearly against this last position, 6% of the interviewees. If always dangerous, in a historical period like the one we are experiencing, fake news risks being lethal. For this reason 8 out of 10 respondents propose the introduction of fines to sites reporting fake news, while 85% strongly or fairly agree with the introduction of more stringent measures to control news on the web. Only 38% propose to leave the situation like this and focus on raising awareness among readers.
More than a year after the outbreak of the health emergency in our country, it is necessary to look to the future of the profession: 7 out of 10 journalists believe that some aspects such as desk work will increasingly become an integral part of the journalistic profession, 29% instead maintain that essential to return to normal.
The conclusion of the event was also an opportunity for announce the third edition of the Journalism Award Umberto Rosa, which will start from 10 September 2021 and whose participation procedures will be communicated in the coming months.