L’Unità suspends publication

 ROME-The former Communist newspaper L’Unità, founded by Antonio Gramsci, has announced its decision to suspend publication from August 1 after shareholders failed to agree on a future strategy.

 On Wednesday the headline of the newspaper’s front page read: “They have killed L’Unità”.  Also in its latest edition, aside from dedicating three pages to the closure and one page for adverts; the rest of the 20-page newspaper spread was left blank.

 The newspaper’s journalists spoke out about the problems: “after three months of fighting they managed to succeed in killing L’Unità. This is extremely grave, putting at risk some 80 jobs at a time of serious crisis in the press.”

 Although Prime Minister Matteo Renzi-who owns a small stake in the newspaper-offered his support after it had gone bankrupt four times in the last 20 years (racking up 39 million euros in debt), he evidently refused to be held immediately responsible for the newspaper’s problems.

 Politician Francesco Bonifazi also shared his thoughts on the newspaper's failure: “The responsibility is down to those who have been managing it until now. The PD is 100 percent committed to finding a solution. We will save L’Unità.”

 Head of CGIL (Italian General Confederation of Labour) Susanna Camusso spoke of the importance of the newspaper and their hopes to rescue it: “L’Unitàis the newspaper, which more than any other, has told the story and identified with the workers and their work.”