The delicate role of the media: Saviano responds to Salvini’s “threat” to remove his police protection

Everyone has a right to express their opinions, just as everyone has the right to disagree with those opinions.

However, the tone of the statements made in recent days – shared on social media and published on the pages of some of the most esteemed publications – seem to have reached a point where they are no longer tolerable.

The most recent piece to spark controversy across the globe is an editorial in The Guardian, written by anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano.

The article was written in response to an incident which occurred last Thursday, when Salvini was prompted by a journalist to discuss the services offered to Saviano, who has long lived under around-the-clock police protection from organised crime.

The issue is particularly concerning because Salvini leads a ministry which has the important job of ensuring the safety and security of all Italian citizens.

While he has the freedom to disagree with Saviano’s criticisms, he cannot claim the right to contemplate removing the writer’s police escort.

Saviano responded to Salvini’s threat not only with the editorial in The Guardian, but also via a video posted on the website of Italian daily La Repubblica, both of which used a harsh tone.

The Gomorrah author dubbed Salvini as a “buffoon” and the “minister of the underworld”, and accused him of acting like a mafioso.

The reaction of Saviano, who has for years been deprived of his freedom and now feels threatened by a member of the Italian government, is understandable.

However, amid simmering tensions, one can’t help but feel that a decline in the standards of public debate is not only due to Salvini and other world leaders (like Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Pauline Hanson), but also the media itself.

Therefore, it would seem wise to accept the invitation, made by Saviano himself, to approach this type of  political discourse as a conscientious objector, to eliminate the media attention it thrives on and to take into serious consideration the delicate role that the media plays in the perception of public opinion.