Italian State Broadcaster Rai Faces Internal Rebellion Over Olympic Coverage
Sports journalists at Italy's state broadcaster, Rai, are launching a series of coordinated protests in response to what they describe as the "disastrous" and "embarrassing" commentary by sports director Paolo Petrecca during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The internal union representing Rai journalists, CDR, announced on Monday that reporters would withhold their bylines from Olympic coverage and stage a three-day strike after the Games conclude.
Series of High-Profile Blunders During Broadcast
Paolo Petrecca, who was appointed to lead Rai Sport in 2025, committed multiple significant errors during Friday's live broadcast. Most notably, he welcomed viewers to Rome's Stadio Olimpico instead of Milan's San Siro stadium, where the actual ceremony was taking place. The director further confused Italian actor Matilda De Angelis with American singer Mariah Carey and misidentified Kirsty Coventry, president of the International Olympic Committee, as Laura Mattarella, daughter of the Italian president.
These mistakes were immediately mocked by viewers across social media platforms and quickly became a political flashpoint. Opposition politicians seized upon the errors, citing Petrecca's reported close ties to Giorgia Meloni's far-right government as evidence of broader issues at the broadcaster.
Journalists Express Professional Embarrassment and Anger
The CDR union released a strongly worded statement declaring: "For three days we've all been embarrassed, and through no fault of our own. It's time to make our voices heard because we're facing the worst performance ever from Rai Sport during one of the most anticipated events of all time." The union emphasized that the flawed commentary damaged Rai's reputation, betrayed license fee payers, and undermined the professional standing of journalists working for the public service broadcaster.
Adding to the criticism, the journalists' union Usigrai labeled Petrecca's commentary "inadequate" and highlighted broader concerns about political influence at Rai. In an unprecedented move during 2024, news anchors on Rai's three main television channels read a statement from Usigrai condemning what they described as Meloni's administration "turning Rai into a government megaphone."
Political Dimensions and Historical Context
Opposition politicians have framed the incident as the latest example of alleged right-wing bias infiltrating Italy's public broadcaster. Sandro Ruotolo from the Democratic party characterized the situation as further evidence of "political occupation and amateurism" at what he derisively termed "TeleMeloni." This controversy reverses longstanding accusations, as before coming to power in October 2022, Meloni herself frequently accused Rai of displaying left-wing bias in its programming and reporting.
The actor Matilda De Angelis responded to being mistaken for Mariah Carey with humor, joking on social media: "Mariah Carey and I are apparently the same person." Despite the lighthearted response from some quarters, the CDR union stressed that the issue transcends politics, framing it instead as "a question of respect and dignity for public service" journalism.
Rai Sports has not yet provided an official comment regarding the protests or the specific criticisms of Petrecca's Olympic coverage. The planned actions by journalists represent a significant internal challenge to management at Italy's premier public broadcaster during a major international sporting event.
