Kill them before they grow Editorial products in Italy are subject to quite a tight regulatory environment. In order to write for the press, journalists need to be vetted officially for two years by other journalists employed by officially recognized titles. The only way for the younglings to be 'validated', is to swear to the code of silence and acceptance that will allow them a long and safe career. Otherwise 'Their writing is no good' and 'It takes too much work to edit their articles, we do not have that kind of time these days'. And nobody will ever question whether that's a fact or fabrication.
Nobody questions the system, or they are out as well.
The role of the unions is to protect those who 'are in'. Those who are not in the union, or not 'legitimately' in the profession, cannot be defended by the laws that regulate work relations. The control exercised by these routines ensures that very little free and controversial thinking goes into the press. The careers of journous who question the system, do not play the game, and denounce the symptoms of corruption that they may come across, are actually terminated before they start making waves. The Italian press industry, it must be noted, is plagued by complex links within secret societies, which have increasingly powerful extensions abroad.