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Times Article on Rome’s Decay Draws a Surge of New Scrutiny Times Article on Rome’s Decay Draws a Surge of New Scrutiny
(about 3 hours later)
ROME — Foreign correspondence can sometimes resemble an exercise in Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle — whereby just by observing events, you influence them. ROME — The subject has filled afternoon television, dominated newspaper headlines, emboldened critics and left many frustrated Romans with the sense that, finally, someone else was noticing.
But there was no uncertainty this week about the impact of an article The New York Times published Thursday on Romans’ complaints about the decline of the quality of life in their city. Widespread frustrations about the deterioration of Rome, a longstanding issue in this city, blew up into an even bigger political and media storm after the complaints were aired — to a mix of relief and despair — to an international audience.
It lit up the Italian news media and social networks, as Italians seized on the piece, rightly or wrongly, as proof positive that Rome — the eternal city, eternally falling apart — was indeed “degrado,” or decaying, even more than usual. In news outlets and on social media networks, Italians seized on an article, published online late Wednesday by The New York Times, as evidence that Rome — the eternal city, eternally falling apart — was indeed in “degrado,” or decaying, even more than usual.
A Rome-based newspaper, Il Messaggero, made reference to the article on its front page on Friday. Two national dailies turned over two full pages each to the coverage. A national television channel featured the article and reactions to it on both its afternoon and evening broadcasts, and an afternoon talk show made the article its opening topic of conversation for two days. Two national Italian dailies each devoted two full pages of coverage to the article. A Rome-based newspaper, Il Messaggero, referred to it on its front page on Friday. A national television channel discussed the article and reactions to it on both its afternoon and evening news broadcasts, and a daily afternoon talk show led off with the subject two days running.
“Corruption and filth, America no longer loves the eternal city,” a headline on the pages of La Repubblica, a leading daily newspaper, read Friday. “Corruption and filth, America no longer loves the eternal city,” read a headline on Friday in La Repubblica, a leading daily.
The surge of new attention focused on Rome’s degradation intensified the scrutiny of Mayor Ignazio Marino, a former transplant surgeon who has faced criticism of his governance. On Thursday and Friday, the mayor confronted fresh questions and pressures about what some here called “The New York Times accusations.” The surge of new attention focused on Rome’s problems intensified the scrutiny and pressure on Mayor Ignazio Marino, a former transplant surgeon who has faced criticism of his management of the city.
“I think there is no one in #Rome who doesn’t think it’s #degrado. Now it’s not us whiners saying it, but it’s the NYT,” wrote a researcher in contemporary history on Thursday in a Twitter post. Mr. Marino responded on Friday by reshuffling the board of directors of the city’s public transportation company, a major object of Roman ire. Repeated strikes and service problems have so frustrated passengers on the city’s subway system that some of them recently tried to beat up a subway train conductor.
“But now that Rome’s degradation is on the @nytimes, where are all those Romans who mock us for exaggerating? Come out now…” said another Twitter post by Roma Fa Schifo, or “Rome Sucks,” a website that since 2008 has chronicled the administration’s flaws by posting pictures of crowded buses, potholes, garbage piles near historical sites and double- or triple-parked cars. The mayor called the decline in service in the system “dramatic” and unworthy of Italy’s capital, and ordered its general director to fire whoever was responsible and to appoint new managers. He also urged Guido Improta, the City Council member responsible for transportation in Rome, to finalize his already announced resignation. The steps followed the Italian media’s focus on what was interpreted as a reference to Mr. Marino’s weakness in the article’s headline.
Amid the new round of coverage, Mr. Marino on Friday announced a reshuffle in the board of directors at Rome’s transportation company, which has been blamed for subway strikes and inefficient services that have so frustrated passengers, some recently tried to beat up a subway train conductor. The city’s longstanding critics took the article and the viral reaction to it as vindication.
The mayor called the decline in the quality of service “dramatic” and unworthy of Italy’s capital, and ordered the general director at ATAC, the public transportation operator in Rome, to oust those responsible for the situation and choose new managers. “I think there is no one in #Rome who doesn’t think it’s #degrado. Now it’s not us whiners saying it, but it’s the NYT,” a researcher in contemporary history wrote on Thursday in a Twitter post.
He also urged the City Council member responsible for transportation in Rome, Guido Improta, who had already announced his resignation, to finalize it. “But now that Rome’s degradation is on the @nytimes, where are all those Romans who mock us for exaggerating? Come out now . . . ” said another Twitter post by Roma Fa Schifo, or “Rome Sucks,” a website that since 2008 has chronicled the administration’s shortcomings by posting pictures of crowded buses, potholes, garbage piles near historic sites and double- or triple-parked cars.
The steps followed the Italian media’s focus on what they interpreted as a reference to Mr. Marino’s weakness in the article’s headline, calling it “The NYTimes judgment.” Politicians also took up the subject and ran with it. The mayor’s opponents in Rome called for him to resign and hold an early election. Both the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the right-wing party Forza Italia — some of whose members were involved in an investigation of mafia infiltration of the city government — said Mr. Marino should go.
On Thursday, Mr. Marino’s opponents took the occasion as yet another opening to attack the mayor, and to call for early elections. By Thursday evening, even Italy’s prime minister, Matteo Renzi, found himself having to comment.
Both the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the right-wing party Forza Italia — some of whose members were involved in an investigation of mafia infiltration of the city government — said Dr. Marino should resign. In an interview with the television channel TG5, he dryly answered a question posed by a journalist about Mr. Marino’s track record, as well as that of the governor of Sicily, Rosario Crocetta, who has been even more harshly attacked by the news media in recent weeks.
By Thursday evening, even Italy’s prime minister, Matteo Renzi, was made to comment on the situation.
In an interview with the channel TG5, he dryly answered a question posed by a journalist about Mr. Marino’s governance, as well as that of the governor of Sicily, Rosario Crocetta, who has been even more harshly attacked by the media in recent weeks.
“If they are able to govern, they should govern,” Mr. Renzi said. “Otherwise, they should go.”“If they are able to govern, they should govern,” Mr. Renzi said. “Otherwise, they should go.”
Amid the media and political uproar, Mr. Marino defended his position once again. Mr. Marino defended his position once again on Friday, saying that the city would bring in a new contractor for parks and streets maintenance in September and that his administration would turn its focus from financial and administration issues to transportation and sanitation.
The city will have a new contractor for parks and streets maintenance in September, he said, and explained that his midterm program should revolve around transportation and sanitation. “We re-established legality in the balance sheets,” Mr. Marino said in an interview with La Repubblica. “Now we have to improve the quality of life.”
“We re-established legality in the balance sheets, now we have to improve the quality of life,” Mr. Marino said in an interview with La Repubblica.
Using a medical metaphor, as the former surgeon is apt to do, Mr. Marino promised that citizens, like the relatives of a patient who has just been given a transplant, would “soon see” the results.