La Stampa. The History of the Oldest Newspaper in Italy

illustration: lastampa.it

In February 1867, the Kingdom of Italy was only 6 years old, and its ruler was Victor Emmanuel II. At the same time, writer Vittorio Bersezio and politician Casimiro Favale started collaborating, which led to the launch of the newspaper Gazzetta Piemontese on February 9 in Turin, a strictly political publication.

The newspaper of Piedmont had 4 pages, 4 columns, engravings in the advertising section, a circulation of 7-8 thousand copies, and two editions: morning and afternoon. It also contained a declaration from the founders that the new publication would:

• always provide true information,
• not bow to power,
• present all government decisions, decrees, and laws concerning citizens,
• inform about what is happening in the world, but focus more on regional news,
• the motto, the Latin phrase Frangar, non flectar, which in Italian means: I break, but I do not bend, will be strictly followed.

Bersezio was responsible for the overall direction of the newspaper and became its editor-in-chief. He had experience, having previously run the satirical magazine Il Fischietto and interned with France’s greatest writers, from Dumas to Balzac. Favale oversaw the finances and legal aspects. He was a lawyer by profession, a politician by passion, but also the owner of a printing press, which made it easier to launch the newspaper. The managing director was Marco Rizzoni.


Bersezio’s light writing style and humorous approach to articles quickly found favor with readers not only in Turin but also throughout the country and neighboring states, where the newspaper began reaching quite rapidly.

Within a few months, Gazzetta Piemontese took strong roots in the Turin media market. It was divided into sections and thematic columns. The main ones, such as national news – Italia or Cronaca Cittadina, and regional news, occupied the front page. It was also here that the Atti Ufficiali (Official Documents) column and the frequently published Appendice appeared. On the second page, Estero Rivista (Foreign Magazine) provided updates on world affairs. The next page was dedicated to the newspaper’s correspondents and the economic section, including the Italian and global stock markets. The fourth page contained advertisements, theater schedules, and legal matters.

It was said that Bersezio created a bold and popular newspaper, a spokesman for the small and medium bourgeoisie of the city... and so it was. The editor did not limit himself to politics, but also nurtured the cultural development of his readers. Already in 1867, he introduced sections such as Romanzi a puntate (Novels in installments) and La vita che si vive (The Life You Live), featuring interesting stories from the lives of readers, and in 1876, he launched the first supplement, the cultural weekly Letteraria Gazzetta.

New Owner, New Subtitle

As it is today, as in past centuries, for a company to function, money was needed. The previous partners decided to sell their shares in the company, and so in 1880, the newspaper was acquired by journalist, politician, and publisher Luigi Roux. Since Bersezio decided to leave the editorial office of Gazzetta Piemontese to dedicate himself to writing (he was 62 at the time), Roux also took on the role of editor-in-chief.

At this time, the newspaper had 6 columns, several new sections like Ultime notizie (Latest News) and Cronaca (Chronicle), and nearly every advertisement had its own engraving. Not only writers but also politicians were invited to collaborate, including such personalities as Senator Silvio Spaventa and Ruggiero Bonghi, a politician, member of parliament, and philologist.

Roux managed the newspaper with the help of editor-in-chief Vittorio Banzatti until 1894, introducing several innovations that did not significantly change the newspaper`s appearance. The columns La Frontiera (The Border), Sport, and Arti e Scienze (Art and Science) expanded the range of topics but did not increase the number of pages.

It wasn`t until 1895 that significant changes took place. In 1894, journalist Alfredo Frassati became a co-owner of the newspaper. Thanks to him, Gazzetta Piemontese underwent a transformation. A new subtitle, La Stampa (The Print), appeared, and although the main title remained, the editorial team reassured readers in a letter that although the name changed, the content and format would remain the same.

New Owner, New Subtitle

Just like today, in previous centuries, money was needed for a business to function. The previous partners decided to sell their shares in the company, and so in 1880, the owner of the newspaper became journalist, politician, and publisher Luigi Roux. Since Bersezio decided to leave the editorial office of Gazzetta Piemontese to dedicate himself to writing (he was 62 at the time), Roux also took on the role of editor-in-chief.

At this time, the newspaper had 6 columns, several new sections such as Ultime notizie (Latest News) and Cronaca (Chronicle), and nearly every advertisement had its own engraving. Writers were invited to collaborate, but also politicians, including such personalities as Senator Silvio Spaventa and Ruggiero Bonghi, a politician, member of parliament, and philologist.

Roux managed the newspaper with the help of chief editor Vittorio Banzatti until 1894, introducing several innovations that didn’t significantly change the appearance of the newspaper. Columns such as La Frontiera (The Border), Sport, and Arti e Scienze (Art and Science) expanded the range of topics but did not increase the number of pages.

It wasn’t until 1895 that significant changes took place. In 1894, journalist Alfredo Frassati became a co-owner of the newspaper. Thanks to him, Gazzetta Piemontese underwent a transformation. A new subtitle, La Stampa (The Print), appeared, and although the main title remained, the editorial team reassured readers in a letter that while the name had changed, the content and format would remain the same.

La Stampa in Bold Font and Modern Printing

On March 30, 1895, Frassati became a co-editor-in-chief. On the same day, the title La Stampa started to be printed in bold font. The layout of the pages also changed. The new co-owner moved the editorial office to a new location, Piazza Solferino. He also introduced innovations in the printing of the newspaper. He bought new machines – linotype machines. These were the first of their kind in Italy. The newspaper’s appearance improved, and its circulation grew to 50,000 copies.

The Roux-Frassati duo worked together for the next five years. They did not carry out a revolution, but made some changes, such as using different fonts in article headlines. It wasn’t until October 1900 that La Stampa underwent its first major revolution. Louis Roux transferred his shares to his co-editor, and Frassati became the sole owner and publisher of the newspaper. He immediately made changes.

• La Stampa became the name of the newspaper, with Gazzetta Piemontese as the subtitle, and the motto was preserved,
• articles were signed with the author’s name,
• individual titles of news or announcements were written in different fonts and separated by horizontal lines,
• advertisements with engravings appeared on the front page,
• occasionally, illustrations could be found inside the newspaper.

In the editorial office, Frassati was strongly supported by Giovanni Ponzo. Frassati set himself the goal: La Stampa will be a national newspaper with a nationalistic tint and achieved this goal. Year by year, circulation grew, reaching 100,000 copies by 1910.

Thematic Supplements and First Photographs

On January 19, 1902, as a supplement to the newspaper, the first issue of the weekly La Stampa Sportiva was published. It was an illustrated magazine focused on sports and journalism. It had 16 pages, and its editorial team was led by journalist Nino Caimi and lawyer Cesare Goria Gatti. In 1905, Gustavo Verona became editor-in-chief, and under his leadership, the magazine celebrated its greatest successes for the next 20 years. Three years later, on December 27, 1904, a gift from La Stampa was given to Italian female readers. A magazine for women, La Donna, was launched.

Frassati had his own editorial line and carried it out meticulously. He required political support for his newspaper from the then Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti, established cooperation with Italian intellectuals (Gaetano Mosca, Luigi Einaudi), and in 1905, he made further, small changes to the newspaper. The most important change was the decision to increase the number of pages to 6. Over time, this number increased, and on April 1, the first photograph appeared (Dr. Dante Cervosatia, the murder trial).

Three years later, on August 13, 1908, La Stampa officially became La Stampa. After 41 years, the subtitle and the original name of the newspaper, Gazzetta Piemontese, disappeared.

Messrs. Frassati and Ponzo, during the period of World War I (1914-1917), not only wrote about the issue but also opposed fellow countrymen who supported the war efforts. They were against Italy’s entry into the war and supported the government’s neutral policy. During this time, extensive reports, especially written by Marcello Prati, the newspaper’s correspondent in the United Kingdom, were published. In addition to reports from the front lines, photographs, sometimes very poignant, also reached the newspaper.

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To prevent readers from sinking into the abyss of despair, in 1915, the column La guerra nella caricatura (The War in Caricature) was launched, featuring humorous drawings republished from other newspapers, even from international sources. In the final year of the war, the number of pages was reduced to 4, as like everywhere, basic products, including paper, were in short supply.

The Editor-in-Chief as Ambassador. In Berlin

After the war, Frassati and his newspaper returned to their former ways. The editor was offered a position in the new government by Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti, but he refused. However, in 1920, he accepted the position of Italian ambassador in Berlin. He left La Stampa in the hands of Giovanni Ponzo and went to Germany, occasionally sending correspondence from there. When, in October 1922, the fascists, led by Benito Mussolini, took power in Italy, Frassati returned to Turin.

Not being a supporter of the new fascist government, he openly opposed it. This did not please the fascist side, but La Stampa was a popular and well-respected newspaper, so the government refrained from taking drastic measures… until June 24, 1924, when a squad of brown shirts attacked Frassati’s home. The reason was the murder of politician Giacomo Matteotti and the newspaper’s opposition to the government. Threats, repression, and pressure piled up on the editor.

On September 29, 1925, the printing of La Stampa was suspended, and Frassati was forced to sell the newspaper and the entire publishing house. On November 3, the newspaper returned to kiosks, and on November 9, Frassati left the editorial office. He was 58 years old and had spent three decades working for a newspaper that, in 1925, had a circulation of 176,000 copies.

The Fiat Owners Take the Helm

The buyer of the second-largest newspaper in Turin was the Agnelli family, the owners of the Fiat car factory. The editorial office was taken over for one year by journalists Luigi Michelotti and Gino Pestelli. Both editors were long-time employees of the newspaper. Michelotti had been a correspondent in Paris, and Pestelli, as the first editor, openly criticized fascism and its leaders. It was no surprise that after taking over the editorial office, they continued the work of their predecessors. This did not please the authorities, and on November 1, 1926, the publication of the newspaper was once again suspended. A month later, on November 30, Andrea Torre was appointed editor-in-chief of La Stampa. Thus began the fascist chapter of the newspaper.

Torre had significant journalistic experience. He had run several Italian newspapers and had a political background, having been Minister of Education. When he took over the editorial office of La Stampa in 1926, he was 66 years old, with liberal-radical views and a great passion for journalism. The authorities at the time did not tolerate criticism. As the leading newspaper in the country, La Stampa therefore reported on the exploits of the Duce and his ministers but refrained from criticism. Torre focused on cultural sections. Journalists in these areas, who had worked or collaborated with the newspaper for years, were given the opportunity to spread their wings.

• Arnaldo Cipolla, journalist, writer, and above all, traveler, had been with La Stampa since 1910 and became known as an excellent correspondent, especially during the Libyan campaign. In his reports, he often highlighted political issues from the regions he visited.
• Andrea della Corte, with La Stampa since 1919. He was a musicologist and critic, and by profession, a lawyer. Thanks to him, Italian music journalism reached an unprecedented level of professionalism. His passion was comic opera. He worked for the newspaper until 1967.
• Marco Ramperti, a long-time collaborator of the newspaper. He was a writer but also a film critic, and this field was most often used by Torre.
• Diego Angeli, a contributor to the newspaper, an art critic, and since 1927, the director of the Napoleonic Museum in Rome.

Torre did not only serve culture and art to his readers. He also cared about their knowledge of economics and business, for which he was greatly helped by Professor Attilio Cabiati, an economist from the universities of Turin and Genoa.

The sports column was expanded, and Cronaca Cittadina (City Chronicle) occupied the entire page 5, while the Fiat advertisement was most often featured on the last page, which was normal.

Andrea Torre led the newspaper until February 11, 1929, when he became a senator of the Kingdom of Italy. His successor was Curzio Malaparte. Malaparte was a supporter of fascism, but as the years went by, his views changed.

Although some editors resigned due to political reasons, and La Stampa ceded its market position to the newspaper Gazzetta del Popolo, there was no tragedy in the publishing house. Alfredo Signoretti kept his finger on the pulse in The Hague, Marcello Pratti in Rome, Italo Zingarelli in the Balkans, and Pirro Rost compared sport to art. Though circulation slightly decreased, La Stampa still had loyal readers.

La Stampa della Sera and the Paris Scandal

On December 31, 1930, the first issue of the evening edition was published. Initially, it functioned as a supplement, but from April 15, 1931, it became an independent newspaper, and the main title La Stampa was supplemented with della Sera (Evening). On May 16, 1936, the title was shortened to Stampa Sera. The evening edition supplemented the absence of the daily afternoon edition and the Monday issue. This situation lasted until April 18, 1992, when the newspaper disappeared from the market.

When Malaparte`s book Technique of the Coup d`État was published in Paris, it was considered an attack on Hitler and Mussolini in Italy. Despite translations, the editor had to leave the newspaper immediately (January 31, 1931), and his place was taken by Augusto Turati. It was a short tenure, as on August 13, 1932, he was replaced by Alfredo Signoretti, who held the position until the fall of Mussolini’s government in 1943.


Signoretti made several significant changes to the newspaper, ensuring that it remained a serious and political publication. Like in the evening edition, satire appeared, both broad and political. However, the latter was more heavily censored. The newspaper gained additional pages (from 6 to 10), and the number of columns was increased to 7. More photos and engravings appeared, and individual sections received their own headers, such as Teatri-Concerti-Cinematografi, Ultime Notizie, and Gli Sport. The Cronaca Cittadina and serialized novels remained.

War and Half a Million Circulation

Since September 1939, like many other global newspapers, La Stampa dedicated much space to the war efforts. Correspondents Giovani Artieri, Concetto Pettinato, and Mario Bassi reported on events from the front lines, while Signoretti himself wrote commentary on what was happening in the country. Despite problems and wartime restrictions, La Stampa, under the watchful eye of its fascist editor-in-chief, increased its circulation and reached 550,000 copies by February 1943.

July 1943 brought significant changes for Italy. Mussolini`s government was overthrown. The Italian Social Republic was established, which collaborated with Germany and secretly negotiated with the Allies. On July 25, Signoretti lost his position to Vittorio Valare, who, after the German invasion in August, was forced to hide, and Filippo Burzio took on the role of editor-in-chief. However, the turmoil was considerable, and after a forced break in publication (until September 10), La Stampa had three more editors until the end of the war:

• Angelo Appiotti (September 18, 1943 - December 9, 1943)
• Concetto Pettinato (December 10, 1943 - March 3, 1945)
• Francesco Scardaoni (March 4 - April 26, 1945)

... until it was closed on April 26, 1945. By then, the number of pages had been reduced to 2-4, and the news was presented in telegram-style summaries, but to lighten the mood, humorous drawings were still included.

On April 25, 1945, the evening edition was the last issue of the month. The following day, neither the morning nor the evening issue was published. The Governor of Turin, Colonel Marshall, ordered the suspension of all newspapers in Turin. Filippo Burzio, along with the former long-time owner of the newspaper, Alfredo Frassati, paved many paths and made many promises to ensure La Stampa could return to the national market. On July 18, 1945, in its 61st year of existence, La Stampa returned as issue number 1. The first page had the announcement:

In this issue, the old STAMPA resumes its publication free from representatives of fascism. It commits to providing complete, entirely objective, and impartial news service, free from any particular interests and dedicated to all social classes, with the sole goal of serving the true interests of the Nation.

Next to it was an editorial by Filippo Burzio, who took over as editor-in-chief and remained in this role until January 25, 1948. On July 18, the newspaper had the title La Stampa, but to avoid angering the Americans, Frassati, on Saturday, July 21 (after two days of silence), released, under number 1, a theoretically new publication, La Nuova Stampa. In reality, apart from the title, everything else remained the same. Burzio explained the reasons for this decision in the article on the first page. The newspaper returned to its historic title only in 1959, but on March 16, 1947, the first part of the title (Nuova) was written in lighter print, placed behind the black La Stampa. This created the illusion that the newspaper was called La Stampa.

Peeling Off the Fascist Label

Frassati, who worked hard for the return of the newspaper to its former path, never claimed ownership of it. On January 1, 1946, the newspaper returned to the Agnelli family, and in July, editor-in-chief Filippo Burzio became its co-director. The evening edition continued to function without disruption.

Burzio worked hard to restore the newspaper to its former glory. It was difficult to rid it of the fascist stain. The motto Frangar, non flectar had remained unchanged for six decades, even during Mussolini`s time, so many readers were disappointed and dissatisfied with the editorial stance.

Burzio tried not to push political views on the readers but focused more on culture and religion, in which he had great hopes. He never found out whether his efforts achieved the desired effect. He died suddenly from a heart attack on January 25, 1948, at the age of 57. Two days later, Arrigo Cajumi wrote an article in his memory, calling him the Great Piedmontese. Italian journalism had suffered a great loss.

Burzio’s successor was Giulio De Benedetti. De Benedetti joined La Stampa in 1910 as a reporter. Later, in 1912, he became a correspondent in Switzerland. He was the creator of the so-called scoop, breaking news reported first, ahead of the competition. His scoop in 1914 concerned the German army’s mobilization and attack on France. In 1919, he moved to the competition, where he conducted interviews with Leon Trotsky, Nikolai Bukharin, and Adolf Hitler. In 1931, he returned to La Stampa, but as a Jew, he could not officially work there. He wrote under a pseudonym and had to flee the country in 1938. He returned as a correspondent in Switzerland.

When he became editor-in-chief, Fiat’s general director, Vittorio Valletta, gave him two tasks:

• to recruit workers for the factory among the newspaper’s readers,
• to win back the readers who had moved to the competition.

La Stampa Reborn. A Mosaic Newspaper

De Benedetti successfully fulfilled both tasks. Not only did Fiat employees increase, but circulation also began to rise. The newspaper gained a new soul, and under his leadership for two decades, it regained its position in the media market. It is said that De Benedetti created a mosaic newspaper, independent, popular, and of high quality.


His leadership led to decisions such as:

• less conformist orientation than most Italian newspapers,
• anti-fascism,
• openness to liberal and radical commentary,
• anti-communism,
• thoughtful support for capitalism,
• favor for the Italian social democracy,
• expansion of the network of national correspondents,
• professional staff,
• emphasis on columns.

By the 1950s, La Stampa had 9 columns, between 4 and 8 pages, with each article or column signed, and no intrusive politics.

The Mirror of Time. The Most Popular Column to This Day

De Benedetti always considered the reader. On December 17, 1955, he launched the Specchio dei Tempi (Mirror of Time) column, which he himself managed. It was a section dedicated to reader contact, in which local issues mentioned by readers in letters to the editor were discussed. Specchio occupied the entire second page of the newspaper and was the most popular section. This section still exists today.

Although the newspaper declared independence, it was still quite dependent on its owners. It belonged to the Agnelli family, the owners of Fiat. Labor union matters, accidents on production floors, and information about strikes were presented in very limited form or not at all. On the other hand, the newspaper promoted the car ideology, which made motorization the foundation of Italy`s economic development, influencing government choices, and played an important role in the late 1950s in creating a climate that supported the overcoming of the center-right government formula and the opening up to the Italian Socialist Party.

Some journalists, such as the Rome correspondent Enzo Forcella, disagreed with this stance and wrote critical articles. De Benedetti refused to publish them, causing conflict. Another rebel was long-time journalist Luigi Salvatorelli.

In July 1960, in Genoa, a city with anti-fascist traditions, riots broke out due to the congress of the Italian Socialist Movement, which originated from the fascist movement. Permission for the meeting was granted by the then prime minister, Fernando Tambroni, and La Stampa, as the only major newspaper, supported his government. Salvatorelli sharply commented on everything that happened in Genoa, but the editor refused to publish the text.

Despite conflicts and differences of opinion, journalists continued to work, and La Stampa remained a leading newspaper in the national market. Its circulation reached 375,000 copies. The quality of printing improved, the number of pages increased, and new topics emerged. In addition to health and tourism, the section dedicated to television, Cronaca Televisiva, and the automotive section Cronache dell`Automobile were very popular. There was no shortage of advertisements, and attention was paid to women with the section Cronache per le Donne.

De Benedetti was a skilled leader. He knew how to settle conflicts and navigate between opponents. He created a newspaper of high quality. He resigned from all positions on December 4, 1968. After 60 years of work as a journalist and 20 years at La Stampa, he retired, passing the helm to Alberto Ronchey, a journalist and essayist whom he had hired in 1959 and sent to Moscow as a correspondent.

Alberto Ronchey’s Newspaper

Ronchey’s reports attracted significant attention and contributed to changing the Western perception of Soviet power, revealing the contradictions of a society suspended between impressive scientific progress and the misery of everyday life. He also was the first to highlight the fate of Italian communists who had emigrated to the USSR, describing their situation in the article Il tragico destino dei fuoriusciti italiani comunisti (The Tragic Fate of Italian Communist Exiles), published on November 10, 1962, in the newspaper.

After completing his mission in Eastern Europe, in 1963, as a cronista con la valigia (reporter with a suitcase), he set off around the world. He reported from Congo (the death of Italian pilots), Cyprus, India, and Japan. He visited the USA and Cuba. He advocated for a common European currency (LS, November 22, 1968, p. 1).

When Gianni Agnelli (the president of FIAT) offered him the role of leading La Stampa and Stampa Sera, he accepted without hesitation. He took the editor-in-chief position on December 5, 1968, and remained in it until May 4, 1973. The office was located at the newspaper’s new headquarters on via Marenco 32.

During his 4.5 years at the helm of the Turin newspaper, he made several significant decisions:

• maintained the direction set by his predecessor,
• expanded the newspaper’s horizons with sections like La Tecnologia e la Scienza (Technology and Science),
• opened up to international and economic issues,
• established cooperation with prestigious names in the country,
• opened the editorial doors to young talent,
• created a monthly insert Europa,
• paid more attention to Italian agriculture with Note di Agricoltura.

In journalistic circles, it was said that Ronchey created an author’s newspaper and that he demanded editorial autonomy, not sparing criticism of the political class, accusing them of an inability to govern and essential passivity.

Despite his successes, he resigned from editing the newspaper. Family issues forced him to step down. He left the position on May 4, 1973, and Arrigo Levi, a journalist and correspondent for many Italian newspapers, as well as the first journalist to lead a news block on RAI television, took over the role. Until then, it had been the domain of announcers.

Battle Against Terrorism. The Attack on a Journalist

Levi served as the head of both Turin newspapers for 5 years until September 6, 1978. He took over a well-organized, transparent, professional, and very popular newspaper. He steered it toward moderate politics, opposing the Corriere della Sera, which had adopted a left-wing stance in 1973. His tenure came during difficult times for Italy, and particularly for Turin. In May 1974, both he and the newspaper took a stand against the divorce referendum (divorce remained legal), which led to an increase in circulation.


Some joy came on November 1, 1975, when Arrigo Levi launched a new supplement, a cultural weekly Tuttolibri (Everything). It was in tabloid format but printed on newsprint. The first and two middle pages were in color. Bruno Faussone was responsible for the magazine’s graphics. The magazine was independent and had its own distribution.

In the same year, La Stampa’s circulation reached 500,000 copies. However, the threat of terrorism was a major concern for many Italians. Turin was particularly vulnerable to attacks from the Red Brigades. Levi and the entire La Stampa team felt the effects of this in November 1977.

In 1969, the newspaper began publishing columns titled Il nostro Stato (Our State), covering pressing issues such as divorce, secularism, and especially terrorism. The author of these columns was the internal political editor Carlo Casalegno. In 1976, there was a highly turbulent trial of one of the Red Brigades leaders who had murdered Prime Minister Aldo Moro. During the trial, the defense lawyer was killed, and the jury refused to deliberate. In his columns, Casalegno urged the public to uphold the rule of law, to have courage, and not to yield to terrorists.

On November 11, 1977, an article by Casalegno titled Non occorrono leggi nuove, basta applicare quelle che ci sono. Terrorismo e chiusura dei covi (No new laws are necessary, we just need to apply those that exist. Terrorism and the closure of hideouts) was published in La Stampa, which led to a death sentence being issued against the journalist. The attack took place on November 16. Casalegno was hospitalized. He never regained consciousness and died on November 29.

On November 17, the newspaper dedicated the entire front page to the attack. Casalegno was the first journalist to be directly attacked, but sadly not the last. The next day, his colleagues paid tribute to him on the pages of their newspaper. Despite the tragedy, articles and columns against violence and terrorism continued to be published. The journalists remained vigilant, and Levi paid the price.

Kaddafi Fires the Editor-in-Chief

On December 6, 1973, the column Pare che… (It seems that...) was launched, where the writing duo Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, known as Fruttero & Lucentini, or simply F&L, wrote their sharp and humorous comments. Their sharp tongues often targeted the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi—every time he visited Turin and the Fiat factory. He didn’t like this and pressured Giovanni Agnelli to dismiss both the editor-in-chief and the authors. The Fiat boss firmly refused each time, but in 1978, when Gaddafi threatened to break contracts, Levi had to leave. This happened on November 6, 1978. His position was taken over by Giorgio Fattori.

When Fattori took over La Stampa, it turned out that things were not as rosy as they seemed. The newspaper faced financial difficulties, just like the Fiat factory, and the murder of Casalegno shattered the editorial spirit. Circulation also plummeted drastically. The new editor-in-chief was tasked with solving these problems. Fattori had previously led the weekly L’Europeo, which not only achieved success but also set an example in economic efficiency and organization.

The new boss took on the difficult task, and in the 8 years of his tenure, he tackled the newspaper’s issues. He introduced the paper to the computer world, launched telecasting, and implemented minor but significant technical innovations. On October 22, 1981, he launched another supplement, a scientific weekly Tuttoscienze. Another decision was to expand the inserts and broaden the perspective on political news and events.

La Stampa was not foreign to its new leader. He had first encountered it in 1966, and he became the first Italian journalist to serve as a correspondent in China during Mao’s time. In 1972, he parted ways with the newspaper only to return in 1978 as a lifeline. He knew the staff, but he was not sentimental. He conducted personnel clean-ups, instituted rules, and set strict work protocols. He was an elegant gentleman but very firm, keeping his distance while displaying passion.

He wasn’t alone in his efforts. He was supported by friends: Bernardo Valli, Lietta Tornabuoni, Vittorio Zucconi, Ezio Mauro, and Frane Barbieri, who explained the communist East to Italians. Together, they created a newspaper open to the world, to new technologies, and to Italian politics. Some called him Findus, others Robespierre, but in the end, it always came down to gentleman-journalist phenomenon—a perfectionist, as seen in the pages of the newspaper.

38-40 pages were organized thematically. Each section had its main headline and subheadings. For example, Cronaca di Torino e Provincia separated news from the region and the city, while in Spettacolo, Cultura e Varieta, the various artistic sections were clearly separated, especially as this section occupied three pages, similar to sport and economics. Different cities such as Alessandria e Provincia, Asti e Provincia and Cuneo e Provincia had their own sections.

The first page contained navigation tools embedded in articles and placed in boxes. Sometimes there was one, two, but occasionally there were several if the articles were worth the reader’s attention.

Investigative Evolution in La Stampa

When the newspaper got back on track and circulation increased, Giorgio Fattori thanked his team and on February 10, 1986, handed over the editorial leadership to investigative journalist Gaetano Scardocchia. Scardocchia led the newspaper until May 21, 1990, and became known as its reformer. On June 27, 1989, readers received a completely transformed La Stampa.

• 7 columns instead of 9,
• 192 pages,
• the elimination of the so-called third page, meaning culture moved inside,
• removal of advertisements near the headline,
• changed format,
• improved graphics,
• improved newspaper structure.

In addition to its image, La Stampa also received new topics. Since its leader was an investigative journalist who had previously achieved success in this field, the newspaper got its own investigative column. The journalists approached this new topic seriously and passionately, to the point that the main editor found himself in court in April 1988. Both he and the newspaper were accused of defamation. Fortunately, “judges of the sixth section applied the principle that a defamatory statement is not only true but corresponds to the specific right to report. `More than the law,` the judges wrote in their ruling, `we should speak of the duty to report, considering the significant social impact of the mafia phenomenon`” (LS, April 9, 1988, p. 9).


By the 1990s, the Turin newspaper had entered a new phase, in better financial condition, with a circulation of 435,692 copies. Although it had dropped to third place in the national ranking, successive editors and directors did what they could to change this situation. Unfortunately, global trends in printed press were unforgiving. The digital world was replacing print, and it had to be accepted.

Press vs. Television

The 1990s saw four consecutive directors in the role of editor-in-chief, each introducing their own changes based on their views, interests, or passions.

• Paolo Mieli (May 22, 1990 - September 4, 1992), a television enthusiast
• Ezio Mauro (September 5, 1992 - April 30, 1996), a supporter of changes in the USSR
• Carlo Rossella (May 1, 1996 - September 22, 1998), supported Silvio Berlusconi
• Marcello Sorgi (September 23, 1998 - July 20, 2005), familiar with the Italian Parliament

Mieli thanked senior editorial figures, esteemed journalists, and politicians Norberto Bobbio and Alessandro Galante Garrone, and brought in rising stars from television. This move did not bring him glory but improved his standing by creating a newspaper formula. When the Gulf War broke out, the two leading newspapers, Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, competed to see who could report more, and more precisely. Mieli gathered a team of international experts (including a military advisor) and introduced a daily news block La Guerra del Golfo (The Gulf War), which increased the credibility and popularity of the newspaper.

After the war ended, the newspaper continued on its pages under the direction of Paolo Guzzanti, covering topical issues, including revelations from President Francesco Cossiga. At the same time, Mieli introduced a new column Retroscena (Behind the Scenes), explaining to readers what politicians really mean when they say what they say. His successor, Ezio Mauro, launched another supplement on January 27, 1996, Specchio della Stampa (Mirror of the Press). He described his creation as:

(Saturday) Specchio – dealing with current affairs, customs, and culture – was designed to answer both the small and big questions of everyday life. It has an elegant and practical format, ideal for accompanying moments of relaxation. Its goal is to improve the quality of life. The secret lies in the name. The mirror is really an object in front of which each of us `reports` every day and evening, asks questions, and seeks answers. The mirror helps you find those answers and solutions, so you can learn, work, see, and travel.

Into the New Millennium with 232 Pages

Carlo Rossella introduced further graphic changes to the newspaper, and Marcello Sorgi, who led La Stampa into the 21st century, also brought it to the internet. On December 18, 1999, the digital version of the newspaper, www.lastampa.it, was launched, but email communication had been active since February 1995 (LS, February 15, 1995, p. 2).

Entering the new century, La Stampa had a circulation of 569,149 copies (as of December 31, 1999), a refreshed graphic design, 232 pages, and 132 years of history behind it. It was divided into 13 main sections and 23 regional inserts. It had two remote editorial offices: in Milan and Rome. The early 21st century also brought a new editorial policy, beginning with the merging of various local newspapers across the peninsula.

Marcello Sorgi left the editorial office on July 20, 2005, and began working in RAI television, but after several years, he returned to La Stampa and is now its columnist.

In 2006, another revolution came to the newspaper. Its creator was the director-editor Giulio Anselmi, who took over the newspaper in July 2005. He had not been previously associated with La Stampa; he was a columnist for La Repubblica.

Like many printed newspapers around the world, La Stampa struggled with declining circulation. The year 2005 ended with a circulation of 318,653 copies. Almost the entire following year was spent preparing for the overhaul, initiated by Marcello Sorgi, which took place in November. On November 19, 2006, readers received a completely new newspaper, with the following features:

• new format – six-column Berliner,
• color,
• stylistic changes,
• new section Vatican Insider (Vatican News),
• institutional newspaper.

Conflict with Silvio Berlusconi

Three years later, a conflict erupted between Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Corriere della Sera and La Stampa. It was about the VAT increase on paid television. Both newspapers were in opposition to the government and wrote extensively about this issue. An unhappy Prime Minister, in December 2008, during a press conference in Tirana, when asked about it, said:

There is no turning back from the VAT increase on paid television. This is a decision already negotiated by the Prodi government with the European Commission, and after returning to Rome, he commented further: I understand Sky, but I do not understand why journalists, instead of asking why such a privilege exists, are attacking me. Shame on you! Politicians and the directors of Corriere della Sera and La Stampa should change their jobs.


The conflict escalated. At the request of the Prime Minister, Giulio Anselmi left the editorial office of the newspaper on April 22, 2009, and was replaced by Mario Calabresi, the former correspondent of the newspaper in New York. His report on September 11, 2001, went down in the history of Italian journalism.

As a new editor, Calabresi introduced his own rules. He started by reducing the number of journalistic and printing staff. By the end of 2010, the staff had decreased by one-third. The second milestone was the launch of the newspaper`s digital archive. 1,750,000 pages, 5,000 articles, and 4,500,000 images and illustrations have been available for browsing since October 29, 2010, on the website www.archiviolastampa.it, from the first issue to the latest from 2005.

In 2012, La Stampa moved to a new headquarters at via Lugaro 15, and on August 2, 2014, it officially changed its publisher. The previous one, Editrice La Stampa, merged with Società Edizioni e Pubblications (SEP) Carlo Perrone, creating a new company Italiana Editrice SpA. In 2016, the company was bought by Gruppo Editoriale L`Espresso, which changed its name to Gedi News Network (GNN) a year later, and then to the GEDI Publishing Group . This name remains in use today, and the group is still the publisher and owner of the newspaper.

Bomb in a Package Delivered to the Editorial Office

On April 9, 2013, Calabresi and the La Stampa team experienced a moment of terror. A package arrived at the editorial office, containing an explosive device. Fortunately, the device did not explode, and the anarchist group Federazione Anarchica Informale/Fronte Rivoluzionario claimed responsibility for the delivery. It was retaliation for La Stampa`s support of the criminal case against several "friends" of the group.

On April 12, an open letter from the anarchists was published in Il Secolo XIX, titled Operation Spy Hunt, accusing La Stampa of being at the forefront of confirmed evidence against individuals waging war on the state. The letter continued, La Stampa is just one of many regime newspapers, and therefore, every [newspaper] is a possible target in our war against the state and society, which daily supports and legitimizes its existence.

Although the situation seemed threatening, nothing happened, and the journalists ensured that they would not succumb to terror. On November 5, 2015, Mario Calabresi oversaw the first edition of the new supplement - Origami. It was a magazine featuring cultural, tourist, and literary curiosities, a little bit of everything, folded into the shape of Japanese origami.

After the success of the new supplement, on December 31, 2015, Calabresi said farewell to the team and staff of the newspaper. The next day, they had a new leader. Maurizio Molinari became the head of the La Stampa team and remained there until April 23, 2020. Molinari is a specialist in foreign policy and international issues. He had been a correspondent in Jerusalem, Brussels, and New York. When he became the head of La Stampa, he was assigned an assistant from Fiat, Massimo Russo.

On January 10, 2016, to begin his tenure, Molinari greeted the readers with an editorial article titled Da dove viene il branco di Colonia (Where does the Cologne pack come from). In it, he discussed issues related to Islam and violence against women. The same article appeared on the website but in the form of a film. This was a kind of novelty and curiosity.

Innovation for 150 Years. First Internet, Then Print

In 2017, the La Stampa team celebrated its 150th anniversary. There was a conference, speeches, and flowers, and on May 12, 2018, the old lady was slightly rejuvenated. It received a new graphic form, a new Charter font, and enlarged text. The cultural section received a new name Tempi Moderni (Modern Times) and the color pink. The website expanded to include the Top News section, but only for subscribers.

Another innovation introduced by Molinari was the appearance of articles first on the website, and only the next day in the printed newspaper. This format was first introduced on March 2, 2020, and La Stampa became a pioneer of this method of delivering information.

A month later, Molinari stepped down as the director. Massimo Giannini took over. The team bid farewell to the old chief and welcomed the new one:

The Editorial Committee bids farewell to the departing director Maurizio Molinari and wishes Giannini success in his future work. However, it cannot fail to draw attention, on behalf of the entire editorial team, to the numerous problems that have remained unresolved in recent years and which have been further exacerbated due to significant staff and salary cuts for journalists and printers. The sacrifices, to which the editorial team has always responded admirably, prioritizing professionalism and passion for the profession over the difficulties of a declining market, also penalized by the competition that can boast different numbers and resources. With the change of director, the journalists of “La Stampa” hope that investments in human resources and editorial planning for the future will be in line with our 153-year history. Therefore, we hope that Giannini wants to be the new captain of the team, not just an ordinary judge, with the certainty that he will care for the future of the newspaper that he will now lead. (LS, April 23, 2020)

So far, Giannini is doing quite well. The newspaper`s circulation stands at 153,302 copies, with 7 supplements, and it is available as e-books. Journalists from 13 local editions can be reached on social media, and podcasts are available on the website. La Stampa ranks fourth in the national newspaper rankings.

La Stampa Timeline:

• 1867, February 9 - first issue of Gazzetta Piemontese
• 1876 - first supplement Letteraria Gazzetta
• 1895 - appearance of the subtitle La Stampa
• 1900 - La Stampa as the main name of the newspaper
• 1902, January 19 - launch of the sports supplement La Stampa Sportiva
• 1904, December 27 - women`s supplement La Donna
• 1905, April 1 - first photograph in the newspaper
• 1908, August 13 - complete disappearance of the name, subtitle Gazzetta Piemontese
• 1914 - first “scoop” news breaking in the newspaper ahead of the competition
• 1915 - introduction of wartime caricature humor
• 1924, June 24 - attack on the editor-in-chief and director Alfredo Frassati
• 1925, September 29 - fascist government suspends La Stampa’s publication and forces its owner to sell the newspaper
• 1925, November 3 - La Stampa returns to publication with a new owner
• 1926, November 1-30 - another suspension of the newspaper`s publication
• 1926-1943 - newspaper under fascist “patronage”
• 1930, December 31 - launch of the evening edition
• 1943, August 10 - September 10 - suspension of the newspaper due to the German invasion of Italy
• 1945, April 26 - Americans close La Stampa
• 1945, July 18 - newspaper returns to the market
• 1945, July 21 - name change to La Nuova Stampa
• 1955, December 17 - launch of the column “Specchio dei Tempi” (Mirror of Time)
• 1959 - return to the original name
• 1974, May - La Stampa supports NO in the divorce referendum
• 1975, November 1 - launch of the supplement “Tuttolibri”
• 1977, November 16 - attack on journalist Carlo Casalegno, who died on November 29
• 1981, October 22 - launch of the supplement Tuttoscienze
• 1990, June 27 - first major reform of the newspaper
• 1990, August - newspaper format, topic “Gulf War”
• 1996, January 27 - launch of the supplement “Specchio della Stampa”
• 1999, December 18 - newspaper starts online
• 2006, November 19 - second major revolution in the newspaper, format change, and introduction of color
• 2009-2010 - staff reduction by one-third
• 2010, October 29 - premiere of the digital archive of the newspaper
• 2013, April 9 - bomb in the editorial office, no casualties
• 2014, August 2 - La Stampa gets a new publisher
• 2015, November 5 - first issue of the supplement “Origami”
• 2016 - GEDI Publishing Group controls La Stampa
• 2016, January 10 - first editorial article published in film form
• 2017, February 9 - La Stampa celebrates its 150th anniversary
• 2020, March 2 - articles appear first on the website and then in print the next day

Sources:

• https://www.lastampa.it/
• https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gazzetta_Piemontese_N._1_(1867).jpg
• https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Stampa
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• https://www.somewhere.it//curiosita/storie/la-stampa-da-piccolo-portavoce-della-media-borghesia-a-colosso-editoriale/
• https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/la-gazzetta-letteraria/
• https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/la-stampa/
• https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittorio_Bersezio
• https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/vittorio-bersezio
• https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alfredo-frassati
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• https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/andrea-della-corte_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/
• https://torino.repubblica.it/cronaca/2018/01/14/news/quando_giulio_de_benedetti_disse_a_valletta_la_stampa_deve_piacere_agli_operai_-186495274/
• https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/giulio-de-benedetti_(Dizionario-Biografico)
• https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alberto-ronchey_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/
• https://www.thejc.com/news/news/arrigo-levi-1.510368
• https://www.lastampa.it/cultura/2012/01/16/news/1973-un-corsivo-di-f-amp-l-br-fa-infuriare-il-colonnello-1.36506395/
• https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2007/09/23/addio-giorgio-fattori-il-direttore-gentiluomo.html
• https://www.corriere.it/politica/08_dicembre_02/berlusconi_direttori_casa_63ad9f8c-c0a0-11dd-a787-00144f02aabc.shtml
• https://cdni.autocarindia.com/utils/imageresizer.ashx?n=http://img.haymarketsac.in/autocarpro/IMG/628/64628/4-credit-la-stampa.jpg
• https://web.archive.org/web/20160113181930/http://www.lastampa.it/2016/01/10/multimedia/esteri/leditoriale-del-direttore-molinari-da-dove-viene-il-branco-di-colonia-b1SZA82KnL40IORYWUgHEO/pagina.html
• https://cpj.org/2013/04/anarchists-and-suspected-mafia-target-italian-medi/
• https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10153338562755958