Italy's leading news agency ANSA
presented its popular annual photobook, Photoansa 2018, in Milan
on Tuesday.
The book portrays a year full of events through stunning
images that bring to life tragic and fascinating incidents,
including the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa, the Thai
cave rescue, Macron's mounting struggles, and France's World Cup
win, as well as interesting reforms like women being allowed to
drive in Saudi Arabia.
The photos were selected according to their photojournalistic
relevance - because they told a story, said the president of
ANSA, Giulio Anselmi, speaking at the book presentation in
Milan.
And some of the protagonists portrayed by ANSA attended the
presentation at the Feltrinelli Foundation, including Genoa
firefighters who saw images of their rescue efforts on August
14, when they rushed to help victims of the deadly disaster.
The August 14 collapse killed 43 people and caused the
evacuation of many flats below the bridge.
Firefighter team chief Massimo Bartolini, who was among the
first to arrive at the scene, said his colleagues are still
working there to help families whose homes will be torn down to
retrieve their possessions.
The operation should end by the end of this week.
"It was an extremely acute intervention that involved us from
a technical-operational standpoint as well as a human one", said
Genoa commander, Fabrizio Piccinini.
The March 4 elections and the birth of the League-M5S
government are also portrayed in the book.
The book includes the "months of political confusion that is
far from resolved", added Anselmi.
The opinion is in part shared by Alessandra Ghisleri,
director of Euromedia Research, who is convinced that European
elections in the spring will be "perfect to measure and
understand what will happen next" and that at the moment the
League is "sprinting" while the 5-Star Movement is "flailing".
The president of Italian insurance company Generali, Gabriele
Galateri di Genola, expressed the wish that dialogue with Europe
can bring "more stability for investors and citizens".
The news reported, stressed ANSA editor-in-chief Luigi Contu,
also aimed to show hope and the positive side of events.
This was the case of leading Italian golfer Francesco
Molinari and the Ryder Cup, which Italy will host in 2022, as
recalled by the director general of the project, Gian Paolo
Montali.
Indeed ANSA CEO Stefano De Alessandri said he was "surprised"
by ANSA's level of innovation in reporting the news.
Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana, a surprise candidate for
the position after Roberto Maroni stepped back, said 2018 was an
"overwhelming" year - "I didn't think I would experience it".
And ANSA, he added, reported the news in a "balanced" way.
The president of the regional council, Alessandro Fermi,
indeed said ANSA is the "notary of the news", at the
presentation attended, among others, by prefect Renato Saccone,
police commissioner Marcello Cardona, manager Matteo Marzotto
and top security officials.
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