Less need this time. Over the past year key journalists and executives have been detected toning down criticism of the likely new boss. They went too far when Rai failed to report the Berlusconi gaffe covered by Canale 5. An internal inquiry is under way. Professor Walston has noted the same trend in supposedly independent newspapers.
Many columnists are university academics who rely on government funding for their departments.
There is trimming of sails because the wind is changing. An oft-floated solution to the dilemma of a potential conflict of interest between Mr Berlusconi as leader of Italy and the country's dominant media figure is a blind trust. When he was last in power in 1994 he made a similar proposal, but his government collapsed before it came to anything. Under this model an independent fiduciary, typically a bank, would manage the tycoon's assets until he leaves office. Yet his holding company, Fininvest, is probably too big and in any case his son Piersilvio and daughter Marina are in senior positions.