ROME – Italian President Sergio Mattarella has spoken of the value of the free press in front of students in the Quirinial Palace on Tuesday morning.

 “In the morning I read the newspapers: news and opinions, those that I agree with and those that I don’t...perhaps these seconds are the most important for me, because it is important to know the opinions of others,” Mattarella told the students. “This is why the freedom of the press is of great value, because reading things that you don’t agree with allows you to reflect on your own thoughts,” he continued.

 His comments come just after journalists were attacked by a number of Five Star Movement politicians for their coverage of Rome mayor Virginia Raggi’s trial and eventual acquittal. Head of the party and Deputy Prime Minister Luigi di Maio called reporters “worthless jackals”, while Alessandro di Battista launched a scathing attack on journalists in a Facebook post just after Raggi had been acquitted. He called them both “hacks” and “whores” in a highly-charged rant.

 President of the House Roberto Fico also added his voice to the controversy, conceding that “in the last 30 years a general culture of independence in the press has been lacking and it is a topic that must be tackled head on, because the press influences politics and politicians influence journalists.”