In this interview, Michele Galfetti describes the editorial team's commitment, both collective and individual, in understanding a rapidly evolving social reality and in identifying external factors that could influence its perception. The final goal is to offer viewers the result of a rigorous selection process, conducted at every level, to reduce, at least in the television proposal, the elements that could alter the interpretation of the facts.
How do you start from the “blank page” and get to the television broadcast?
English: "Our program is not born so much from a "blank page", but from a continuous selection of news stories, which we have the task of examining and scheduling, deciding which topics will be relevant even after the period necessary to study the material we have collected and start a dialogue with the interested parties. For a simple reportage, about ten days are enough. While for an in-depth analysis, at least two months are needed. In this case, in addition to examining the dossier, we must give the interviewees the necessary time to reflect and decide whether to participate in our program. Before starting this dialogue, we make sure to also update the analysis of each aspect related to the topic that will be broadcast. Once these preliminaries are completed, we get to the heart of the editorial activity: filming, adding sound, commenting on the images and predicting the appearance of any new facts or possible legal communications that could hinder the dissemination of the service.
In short, the goal of our editorial team is not only to transmit news, but to rigorously verify the reliability of the information, in substance and in the timing of broadcast, to offer viewers precise and reliable content".
What motivates your work?
"My activity is coordinated with the responsible producer, my colleague Valerio Selle, and with the editorial staff of the program, and requires continuous dialogue. This can involve discussions on issues that do not find complete unanimity within the editorial team, or discussions on the timing of a broadcast. In any case, it is the dialogue with my colleagues and the managers of our television company that collegially perfects the creative path of a program. program as Bonfire, whose aim is to offer a product that achieves the widest consensus and is shared by the public, offering viewers the tools necessary to allow them to form an opinion in complete autonomy".
Is there a line between news and in-depth analysis?
"I believe the difference is in perspective. News reporting limits itself to presenting the facts as they are. Instead, when you do an investigation, beyond the reality of the facts, the objective is first of all to verify and then propose arguments that have not yet manifested themselves. In imposing these priorities on myself, I respect my obligations of conscience but also of professional mandate: because where there is news, I cannot avoid reporting it."
In your profession, what contradictions do you spot in today's society?
«Let's start with privacy: despite being perceived as an absolute value, many people choose to expose themselves freely on social media, often without considering the implications.
Another contradictory phenomenon is the evolution of individualism, the refusal to take responsibility for one's actions, and blaming society for them. Perhaps in the past it was easier to identify reference figures who inspired responsible behavior. Instead, today social media encourage widespread individualism, promoting us to know-it-alls, experts in every subject, to ignore any criticism and to make rash decisions in the belief that we can avoid the consequences. Another constant is the growing bureaucratization of social relations, a dynamic that can also be perceived in the world of the media.
Probably our category suffers from the sensationalism with which social media interpret and amplify reality, which in turn influences people in a circular way, leading each person to seek confirmation of their opinions and prejudices in social media.
To avoid multiplying these contradictions, I am committed to offering the public a television product that respects the same independence and freedom of judgment that I reserve for my conscience."
