Back in the ’90s State capture in Italy taught us two words that still bite: Tangentopoli (literally “Bribesville”) and penne pulite (“Clean pens”) a play on the infamous Mani pulite (“Clean hands”), a large-scale Italian judicial inquiry that began in 1992, primarily focused on uncovering and prosecuting corruption and bribery within the Italian political and economic system. The investigation revealed widespread systemic corruption, implicating politicians, businessmen, and bureaucrats. Bribesville specifically blew open a system where cash bought public contracts. Penne pulite instead hinted at something subtler and media related… cash, access and pressure to buy the narrative.
South Africa’s latest Dior-Edition bribe attempt (The IDT CEO bribery scandal; and how Daily Maverick broke the story) is a reminder that capture comes in two guises. Bribesville tries to bend the tender. Media capture tries to bend the truth.
The lesson from Italy’s fallen First Republic is a playbook. Democracy can only exists with these: clean hands, clean pens and open books.
Real journalism, real access
@DailyMaverick made a principled call: keep journalism free and try fund it through Insiders. No hard paywall; a light registration wall at most.
Question to the DM Connect Community: Do you agree that accountability reporting should be a public good and would you suggest can be done to safeguard it?