“Coffee Europe” is the initiative in the name of Freedom of the Press and its future. A theme that sees as protagonists the threats that journalists must, still too often, face in order to take on their task of addressing the information available to readers, from the threats of organized crime, terrorism and fanaticism, of political and economic powers, now in this new war context.
The event took place in several iconic cafes of the European continentincluding the Café Literathurhaus in Berlin, the Café Berl in Vienna, the Café Europa in Copenhagen, the Café Nova Cvernoka in Bratislava.
“Today we reflect on the Freedom of the Press in many European cafes because I hope that these places will once again be an exchange of ideas and thoughts: you can agree or not on what the newspapers write but we must never forget what it means to invite in freedom your opinion “stressed the Consul General of France in Naples Laurent Burin Des Roziers.
In the Neapolitan city, the meeting took place within the splendid setting of Gran Caffè Gambrinushistorical place, considered as the heart of worldly, cultural and literary life since 1860. And it is precisely within these walls that Matilde Serao and Edoardo Scarfoglio have laid the foundations to give life to the historic Neapolitan newspaper, known to most as The morning.
Today, the director is at the helm in place of Serao Federico Monga: «I didn’t think I would say it but the Freedom of the Press is a topic that we must preserve again. Between Naples and Caserta there are territories where there is organized crime and the Freedom of the Press is difficult to protect: in the last ten years, in about the 30% of the municipalities, the mayors did not complete their mandate because they were threatened by the Camorra. But we, with Il Mattino, every day try to tell what happens, as did Giancarlo Siani who was murdered on the evening of September 23, 1985. For us the figure of him remains a beacon and for this reason we must always say “No” to organized crime “.
Riccardo Malkalawyer of Charlie Hebdo recounted the attack that cost the lives of 12 people in the newspaper in 2015, presenting his reflections raised in the two books dedicated to the issue of caricatures: In praise of l’irrévérence And Le droit d’emmerder dieu. Malka explained that: «Freedom of the press in France is different from Italy: here religious extremists threaten journalists. In the editorial office of Charlie Hebdo, journalists are protected because they have the role of awakening the masses. Since 2006, someone has criticized us for what we publish but our contents are always to be contextualized. In recent years, the judicial system protects and defends us but the population seems to be taking a step backwards, almost as if it had lost its spirit… ».
Philippe Lançon is a journalist who works for the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, injured in theterrorist attack perpetrated against this publication on January 7, 2015. His words bring chills: «In France the Islamic Caliphate undermines the Freedom of the Press with ferocious propaganda: every word can have lethal consequences in war and not. The? For each move I must first communicate and make sure it is safe. I am afraid but I do not take steps back ».
Domenico Quiricospecial reporter for The print of Turin, held hostage in Syria by an Islamist group for 152 days in 2013, and who recounted his terrible experience in his book The country of the male: «In France the Islamic Caliphate undermines the Freedom of the Press with ferocious propaganda: every word can be lethal in war and not. The? For each move I must first communicate and make sure it is safe. I’m afraid but I’m not going back “
Many stories of life, professionalism and courage. Stories and testimonies that society needs and that are intertwined in a single red thread to protect the Freedom of the Press.