The Report team, 'never disheartened Ranucci nor asked for his removal'

With the order of the Court of Rome, a story that was painful for all of us comes to an end.

In recent months the narrative of a divided editorial team, divided between traitors and collaborators, has been fueled. It's not like that.

This was underlined by the Report team, in the aftermath of the judge's decision which rejected Sigfrido Ranucci's request for reinstatement at the helm of the programme.

Already in June, before the Lavitola scandal - the program team reconstructs in a note - the group of correspondents had proposed to support Siegfried with two co-authors in the management of the program. The proposal, however, was not followed up. Then in July the whole team had put forward a new proposal which included two co-authors at its side and coordination of the editorial staff and correspondents. We discussed and voted on it in the assembly, in broad daylight, almost unanimously. There was only one purpose: not to leave him alone in the most difficult moment and to put the team on the front line to protect the program.

That proposal - it is explained further - was not accepted and perhaps was not understood. But none of us has ever distrusted Siegfried, nor has he ever asked for his removal. The management decisions were made by the company and we fought to ensure that the autonomy and independence of our work was not threatened.

Report does not take orders from politics, neither from those who asked to change it nor from those who defend it. Report cannot be influenced by more or less strong powers or by interest groups. It has always been a collective effort and will continue to be. We will respond to controversies as we have always done: with investigations.