“Agente Betulla”: a case of secret agreement between a journalist and the Italian secret services

Journalism, especially investigative journalism, may constitute a real “antidote” against the possibility of the criminal degeneration of a state apparatus (in this specific case, the degeneration of an intelligence agency). “Good journalism” can (and must) help bring to light the real facts in the interest of readers, public opinion and, thus, the regular functioning of the political system. Conversely, real “informational sabotage” can occur when state apparatuses are out of control and journalists pursue the same objective, that is to say, when a professional journalist puts his/her reputation and reliability (and those of the newspaper for which he/she works) to the service of a falsified communication whose sole aim is to poison public information. This is what we discuss in detail in the next few pages through an analysis of a recent case of “secret agreement” between the journalistic sector and the SISMI (the Italian Military Intelligence and Security Service).