From Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 July, “Io non l’ho interrotta” returns to the Castello Volante in Corigliano d’Otranto. The seventh edition of this festival of journalism and political communication, organised by the association ‘Diffondiamo idee di valore’ and coordinated by Pierpaolo Lala and Gabriella Morelli, will feature talks and presentations exploring the current state of journalism and political communication in Italy, with some focus on developments abroad as well. Guests will include journalists Mario Calabresi, Alessio Viola, Alessandro Barbano, Marianna Aprile, Wanda Marra, Cecilia Sala, Francesca Nava, Olivier van Beemen, Francesco Foti, the satirist Luca Bottura, the head of the press office at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Stefania Divertito, the film and TV expert Luca Bandirali, the philosopher Bruno Mastroianni, Edoardo Novelli, head of the Archive of Political Advertisements; Loredana Capone, president of the Apulian Regional Council; and, joining us via video link, RAI journalist Sabrina Giannini, *L’Espresso* correspondent Fabrizio Gatti, virologist Andrea Crisanti, regional councillor Pier Luigi Lopalco, and other guests. In accordance with current anti-Covid-19 regulations, admission to the events will be free of charge, subject to availability (booking recommended at info@iononlhointerrotta.com), and they will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. The series is organised by the association ‘Diffondiamo idee di valore’ in collaboration with Castello Volante in Corigliano d’Otranto, CoolClub, Multiservice Eco, Big Sur, Conversazioni sul Futuro and Libreria Idrusa, with the support of the Puglia Region under the 2020 Special Programme for Culture and Entertainment and, via the Teatro Pubblico Pugliese, as part of the ‘Custodiamo la cultura in Puglia’ programme, and the Municipality of Corigliano d’Otranto, thanks to a grant from the Co. Re. Com. (Regional Committee for Communications) of Puglia.
The programme will kick off on Thursday 8 July at 8.30 pm with a discussion on Covid-19, exploring the intersection of investigative journalism, science and institutional communication, featuring journalist Francesca Nava, author of the book *Il focolaio. Da Bergamo al contagio nazionale’ (Laterza), journalist Alessandro Barbano and, via video link, *L’Espresso* correspondent Fabrizio Gatti, author of *L’infinito errore. La storia segreta di una pandemia che si doveva evitare’ (La Nave di Teseo); virologist Andrea Crisanti, co-author with Michele Mezza of ‘Caccia al virus’ (Donzelli); and Pier Luigi Lopalco, Regional Councillor for Health in Puglia. At 9.45 pm, the discussion will turn to journalistic investigations into the food industry with Dutch journalist Olivier van Beemen, author of the investigative book *Heineken in Africa* (Add editore) and, via video link, Sabrina Giannini, a RAI journalist and author of *La rivoluzione nel piatto* (Sperling & Kupfer). At 10.45 pm, the prime-time programme will conclude with a discussion on ‘Women and Power: What Kind of Politics!’, featuring Loredana Capone (President of the Apulian Regional Council), Dina Manti (Mayor of Corigliano d’Otranto), Francesco Foti (journalist and writer, author of, amongst other books, “Jacinda Ardern. A Leader Next Door’, published by People) and journalist Sonia Pellizzari.
On Friday 9 July, the programme will begin, again at 8.30 pm, with the philosopher, journalist and social media manager Bruno Mastroianni, who, prompted by questions from Bianca Chiriatti, a journalist with *La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno*, will discuss his book *Litigando si impara. Defusing online hate through constructive debate’ (Franco Cesati Editore). Still on the theme of social media and news, Alessio Viola, a journalist with SkyTg24 and author of ‘Sarò bre’ (People), will be in conversation with Marianna Aprile. Finally, in collaboration with the Salento Book Festival, journalist Mario Calabresi, interviewed by Paola Moscardino (La7 – Corriere del Mezzogiorno), will present “Quello che non ti dicono” (Mondadori).
The closing evening on Saturday 10 July will begin at 7 pm with a preview organised by “La critica cinematografica”, the Fata Morgana Web Summer School, which concludes in Corigliano d’Otranto. Luca Bandirali and Enrico Magrelli (Rai Radio 3) will coordinate the presentation of the book “Fata Morgana No. 40 – American Cinema” (Pellegrini Editore), with contributions from Alessandro Canadè, Francesco Ceraolo, Roberto De Gaetano and Bruno Roberti. From 8.30 pm, “Crime Reporting: Newspapers, Books, Podcasts, TV Series” with Cecilia Sala (guest in Corigliano) and Chiara Lalli (joining via video link), authors of the podcast and the book “Polvere. The Marta Russo Case’ (Mondadori), Stefania Divertito, journalist and head of the press office at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, and TV and cinema expert Luca Bandirali. Next, radio and TV presenter, journalist and satirical writer Luca Bottura will present his recent “Manifesto del partito impopolare” (Einaudi). To round off the programme, Pierpaolo Lala and Rocco Luigi Nichil will discuss “Invasione di campo. The Game of Football in the Language and Narrative of Politics’ (Manni), with the participation of Wanda Marra, a journalist at *Il Fatto Quotidiano*, Stefania Divertito and Professor Edoardo Novelli, lecturer in Political Communication at Roma Tre University and founder and director of the Archive of Political Advertisements.
The festival will also feature an OFF section with three events. Saturday 24 July (8.00 pm – free admission, booking essential via WhatsApp +390832373576) at the Convitto Palmieri in Lecce, in collaboration with Extra Convitto, organised by the Polo Biblio-Museale of the Puglia Region, curated by Mauro Marino and the staff of the Bernardini Library, under the patronage of the Province and the Municipality of Lecce, Francesco Costa, deputy editor of *Il Post*, will present *An American Story: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and a Nation to Rebuild* (Mondadori). On Tuesday 27 July (8.30 pm – free admission, subject to availability) the programme returns to the Castello Volante in Corigliano d’Otranto with a double presentation: ‘Mathematics is Politics’ by Chiara Valerio (Einaudi) and ‘Finding the Words: A Primer for Conscious Communication’ by Vera Gheno and Federico Faloppa (Edizioni Gruppo Abele). Finally, on Thursday 26 August, again in Corigliano, Skytg24 journalist Giovanna Pancheri will present her book “Rinascita Americana” (Sem).
