Journalists agree to protect themselves in Italy

Rome, Feb 9 (Prensa Latina) Media professionalshere have agreed to create a permanent coordination among theEuropean press organizations to watch the attacks againsttheir community, the Italian journalist community here hassaid.

Nearly 78 Italian journalists were threatened in thelast two years as they were carrying out their duties,according to a report prepared by the National Federation ofItalian Press Observatory.

The document titled "Oxygen for Information" statesthat 13 journalists were attacked, 15 suffered from othertypes of agression, and 36 were threathened verbally andreceived threatening letters in the last two years.

The report was presented yesterday at the CervantesInstitute in Rome in a meeting where Santi della Volpe andMaria Luisa Busi, RAI (public national broadcaster) editors,defended the need to promote the right to information amongcitizens to maintain a "democratic culture" in the country.

(Prensa Latina)