The world is racing ahead, but information risks falling behind. I have written and spoken about this often, including in my books, such as my latest, UNPERFECT. A change of pace is needed in the world of information. It must be true, serious, and not misleading.
“Disinformation is the first step towards sdemocracy”: the progressive loss of democratic meaning, or a system that moves away from the principles of participation, transparency, and truth.
During the conference “The Evolution of Information Media,” organized by Il Sole 24 Ore to celebrate its 160th anniversary, institutions and industry representatives sounded a clear alarm: good information is in danger.
The era of “truth pills”
Undersecretary for Publishing Alberto Barachini described a disturbing picture:
“As the search for news on social media grows, it decreases on publishers’ websites. It is the era of information pills, which are often unreliable.”
To make matters worse, there is a tendency to trust summaries generated by artificial intelligence:
“Only 8 out of 100 users go beyond the AI preview. The others stop at the four-line summary, which does not come from certified sources.”
Translated: fast information is not information. It is a substitute that takes away the weight of facts and space for thought.
Alberto Barachini, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for Information and Publishing, highlighted the risks of bite-sized information and then spoke about over-the-top services, stating that “there is an issue of unfair competition. A ruling by the US Constitutional Court has established that over-the-top services are not publishers but content distributors. This has had a very serious impact on the issue of the comparison between traditional publishing and over-the-top services because, in reality, they are considered content distributors and therefore do not have the same ethical responsibilities, apart from the same fiscal responsibilities and the same tax burdens, but they do not have the same rules of professional conduct, they do not have the same codes. We are asking publishers to make a great effort to demand the application of a code of ethics.”
On the European front, too, Barachini adds, “we must try to create a level playing field between those who produce and those who distribute information. This is the era of distribution: it matters more than who produces content, and that is obviously dangerous.”
Over the top, the digital Wild West
Barachini also pointed the finger at the big platforms — the so-called over the top — accusing them of unfair competition and a lack of ethical rules.
They are not publishers, but distributors of content, and for this reason they are not subject to the same ethical laws.
“We need a common code of ethics. Today, distributors have more power than producers: this is a huge risk for democracy.”
An identity card for writers
FIEG President Andrea Riffeser Monti proposed a concrete measure:
“Those who write on the web must be identifiable. We need a digital identity card. Only then can those who spread falsehoods be reported.”
This is a necessary step to restore value to the word “responsibility,” often forgotten in the sea of online anonymity.
160 years of trust
The president of Gruppo 24 ORE, Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, pointed out that authority cannot be improvised:
“Quality economic information is not a luxury, it is an essential asset. Il Sole 24 Ore has become a national treasure.”
CEO Federico Silvestri debunked the myth that “no one reads newspapers anymore”:
“Today, if we include piracy, reviews, and social media, circulation is five times higher than in the past. The problem is not disaffection, but the lack of rules.”
Journalism cannot be summarized
“Reaching 160 years does not mean looking back, but looking ahead more clearly,” said Fabio Tamburini, editor-in-chief of Il Sole 24 Ore.
“Facts must be separated from opinions. And opinions, when contrasted, generate awareness.”
An ancient lesson, but one that is more urgent than ever: journalism cannot be summarized. It must be verified, challenged, and explored in depth.
Inform to understand, not just to know
The president of Confindustria, Emanuele Orsini, closed the conference with a message that sums it all up:
“In times of uncertainty, information serves to create awareness. Il Sole 24 Ore is a fundamental asset precisely because it defends freedom of the press.”
When haste misinforms
Between social media, AI, and digital speed, truth risks becoming an optional accessory.
But as Andrea Ceccherini of the Observatory for Independent Thinking reminded us:
“Quality journalism shines a light where there is darkness. Credibility is the only currency that cannot be counterfeited.”
So, the challenge of the future is not only technological.
It is ethical, cultural, and human: knowing how to distinguish between those who write to inform and those who summarize to entertain.
Because the world can be summed up in four lines.
But the truth cannot.
